Where Does My Heart Beat Now
by Sympathy Heart
Summary: An exciting twist of romance, history, and moments of peril. An Irish Civil War reenactor with a sad past meets the girl he believes will turn everything around in his life. Together they find a love that keeps them going when times get rough. A journey through the beautiful small Texas town of Jefferson. The later chapters are written in collaboration with Gangsta Smurfette. R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**Where Does My Heart Beat Now**

**Prologue**

The Irish immigrated to the states after a famine wiped out the Ireland countryside and way of life, but a glimmer of hope still shone for one family.

Several years ago a family had a son, who they named Gabriel. He was half Irish, even though he was born in a small Texan town; his father was full-blood Irish, born in Dublin. His mother, on the other hand, was from the beautiful state of Arkansas and met his father on a summer trip to the beautiful green country.

On the other side of the States, a twenty-three-year-old girl named Kate was outside riding a palomino through the Washington mountainside, the crisp air filling her lungs as the horse cantered along a ridge overlooking the majestic, snow-capped peaks of the Cascade Range. She had been born in the southern state of Tennessee, but she and her family had moved to Washington- along with the rest of the extended family- a few months earlier.

Kate was the daughter of the famous singers, Champ and Cheer, and she was also on her way to stardom, but she preferred spending time with her friends and taking care of her baby sister, Roxanne. There was, however, one thing that she longed to find: a suitable husband. Her older sister, Twila, was already married and had her own cub. Now, if only she could have that.

**Chapter 1**

In the small town of Jefferson, Texas, Gabriel Dawson was hard at work training his bay stallion, Bo. He was a southern Civil War re-enactor for the 1st Texas Cavalry. Along with his friend, the boys were the best riders in their unit, extremely talented with the sword and pistol. Now, Gabriel had a very unique trick he performed with Bo in every reenactment they attended; on command, Bo would fall when his rider gave the slightest tug on the reigns.

"Hey, Gabe!"

The light green male pulled his horse to a stop and waved when he saw his friend leaning against the fence, a smirk shining, "What is so amusing to you, Sean? Do I have my pistol holster on wrong, or something?" Gabriel hopped down from his mount after trotting over and coming to a stop right in front of his friend and climbed over the railing.

"Did you forget that we were leaving for our hiking trip in Washington, today?" Sean raised his eyebrow while waiting for Gabriel's response.

Almost instantly, Gabriel's eyes widened in shock; he had completely forgotten about the trip with their other friends, "Oh, crap! Come on, Sean! Help me pack!" He took off running for the house; Sean left standing by the fence.

"You didn't pack?!" Sean stared incredulously at his friend's back before running after him.

Inside the house, the boys flew past Gabriel's mother, who was dusting off some pictures with the family's Golden Retriever bouncing up on her legs. She turned around when she saw the boys run by into Gabriel's room, and then shook her head in wonder.

"I can't believe you didn't pack. I asked you last night if you had finished packing, and you said you had," Sean tossed some t-shirts on the bed while Gabriel stuffed them into his suitcase without taking the care to fold them, then opened a dresser drawer, "Uh, dude… what's up with these?" He held up a pair of white boxers with small, green shamrocks all over them.

Gabriel quickly snatched them out of his hand and shoved them into the suitcase along with some jeans and socks, "Gimme those!"

"Okay, I know you're half Irish, and really into that stuff, but seriously. Instead of chick magnets, those are more like chick repellants."

"My mama got those for me on my birthday last year. Besides, anything Irish makes me look sexy," He grabbed the suitcase as he headed for the door.

"Have you worn them yet?"

Gabriel stopped dead in his tracks, not even thinking about turning around to face Sean's expression. He knew from experience that it was best to just walk away, "Let's not go there. Now, come on!" He walked out of the room with Sean right behind him, still grinning madly. Before walking out the screen door, he gave his mother a hug and kissed her cheek, "Bye, Mama. We'll see you in a week."

The royal purple-colored female returned the hug greatly and started kissing him all over his face, "I'll miss you my sweet¸ baby boy! You be careful up there in those mountains; avalanches have been known to take lives. Now, I'm forgetting something… Oh, yeah! Bring back a little lady! You know I've wanted a grandbaby from you."

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Gabriel's face turned bright red from embarrassment, "Mom!"

To save his friend from further humiliation, Sean grabbed him by the shoulders and dragged him out the front door with Mae Dawson left waving after them. If they didn't leave soon, Gabriel would be so red people would mistake him for a stoplight, and they'd end up causing a wreck before ever getting out of Jefferson. In the event that that would ever happen, Gabriel and Sean had made plans to change their names and move to Ireland; Gabriel's choice of places, of course.

Once they were in Gabriel's truck, headed for the Dallas/Ft. Worth airport, Sean started chuckling to himself until Gabriel turned to look at him, taking his attention off the road and almost hitting a large log in his lane.

"What is so funny, dare I ask?"

"You… and your mom. Is she always like that when you go on trips?"

"Oh, that's nothing. Last year when I went to Petersburg she got me a shirt that said 'Kiss me. I'm Irish!' I swear that woman is going to do something insane someday."

When they arrived at the airport, the race to get to their gate began. It took them a long time to get through security, and they were almost certain that they were going to miss their flight if the baggage inspection didn't speed things up. Eventually, the boys were running down the row of terminals, trying to make it in time.

"Well, what took you guys so long? They've already started boarding," One of their friends had been waiting on them, by the way he glared at them.

"Sorry. Ask Gabriel. I'm sure he'd be happy to tell you," Sean shoved into the back of the green male in order to get him moving down the jet bridge, "Move, shamrock boy!"

The seats they occupied halfway down the plane were somewhat comfortable, except for the fact that Gabriel was stuck by the window -he wasn't too crazy about heights- and the other two he was sitting by kept teasing him in order to freak him out. Other than that small flaw, Gabriel was relaxed.

"Yeah, the leprechaun over here has shamrock boxers. I was saying he'd never get a girl with those things. Although, he might have some luck if he found a blonde, Irish girl." Sean and the other boys cracked up laughing until they saw Gabriel, then the laughter turned into hysterics and tears came to their eyes. "Look at him! He's turning red, again!"

"Knock it off, you guys. Besides, I've got ways to blackmail all of you. So, go on. Test me," An evil smile crept across his face, making him look like he meant business. The boys knew to stop at that point before he got to the level of blackmail.

"Oh really? What could you possibly know about me?" One of the boys named Nick questioned.

"Remember the incident at last year's Jefferson reenactment? You know… the one involving the redhead from Galveston and the strawberry lip lock?"

"You wouldn't!"

"Try me."

For most of the trip to Seattle, Gabriel kept his eyes closed and head tilted back against the seat. He found it as a way to escape everything around him rather than listen to his friends rambling on about some unimportant subject. Then a thought crept into his mind. _Maybe they're right. I do need to find a girl, but where? How? It would be nice to find someone with my same interests and views._ A bump against his arm caused his eyes to open, seeing Sean peering at him with a raised eyebrow. "What? What's going on?"

"Dude, we're in Seattle, now. Did you pass out or something?"

Gabriel sat up and stretched his legs before getting up from the seat. After the long flight he was ready to inhale the mountain air, but once outside of the airport he received a face full of rain. This was one part of the trip he wasn't too familiar with, and hoped wouldn't last the entire time they were there.

"It's raining," his voice was glum, probably from the weather.

Nick brushed past him with two suitcases and threw them into the bed of the rental truck, "It's always raining in Seattle, but it won't be when we get into the mountains."

"Yeah, the only thing we'll have to worry about is wolves…" Sean jabbed Gabriel in the ribs before continuing, "Or in his case, hopefully a woman. I hear the Cascades are just overflowing with them."

His friend shot him an annoyed glare before getting into the truck, "Shut up," The door slammed shut after he yanked on the seatbelt.

"He's hopeless."

The drive to the mountains left Gabriel time to do more thinking. It was the only thing to keep him from getting bored. Once they began hiking the tension would ease, hopefully. As the landscape turned into mountains, he slipped into deep thought, focusing only on them, _I wonder if I'll meet someone while up here. It would be nice to finally settle down instead of being dragged all over the country with these guys. But what girl would be interested in me? _The real world returned several minutes later when he noticed that the sun had slipped behind the peaks, making the roads dangerous, especially with the twisting turns, _God, I hope Sean's paying attention to the road so we don't end up in a tree a hundred feet down the mountain._

"Gabe, are you okay? You haven't said anything in a really long time, "Sean glanced over at the passenger seat, where his friend seemed to stare out the windshield absently, "Gabriel!"

Gabriel shook his head in order to clear his head, "Huh? Sorry, I was spacing out."

"What have you been thinking about for so long? I have never seen you that deep in thought before."

"I don't know."

"Tell me, Gabe. You can trust me," he looked back at their two friends in the back seat, "Don't worry about those two. Nick is konked out and Max has his earbuds in with them cranked up. I highly doubt they'll be able to hear us."

He seemed like he was being sincere, but Gabriel wasn't sure if he should tell Sean about what had been occupying his mind for the past hour, "Alright… I was thinking about what my life would be like if I ever found a girl to marry. I guess what you said earlier struck a chord in me and made me realize what I've been missing."

Sean slowed the truck down as they neared the cabin they had rented for the week and pulled up the driveway until he finally cut the engine. When they hopped out with their suitcases, Gabriel noticed patches of snow glistening in the moonlight. Apparently the snow took a while to melt up at these altitudes.

_Well, at least it's nice and cool up here. Maybe we'll go for a swim in the stream tomorrow, _Gabriel glanced out the window of the cabin and saw a sheen where the stream should be, _Or not. I guess we could start hiking instead. _He sat on the bed nearest the window after pulling on his night pants and brushed his teeth. It was a good thing they were flannel what with him being up in a colder climate. Hopefully he would be able to sleep tonight with Sean, Nick, and Max practically snoring in his ear.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The next morning, Gabriel awoke to a chill in the air, but dismissed it as he walked into the kitchen, finding the other boys stuffing their faces with eggs and bacon. When he went over to get his own breakfast two empty plates were all that greeted him.

"Yeah, way to leave me any breakfast, jerks," he flicked Sean's ear before going over to the cabinets in hopes of finding something edible. All he found was a box of granola bars, so he had to settle for that.

Sean decided to lighten the mood by talking to his friend, "So, did you sleep well?"

"Let's see… I had Dumb and Dumber snoring in my ear all night long, and I swear Dumber tried to use me as a body pillow. So, how do you think I slept," Gabriel replied coolly while gesturing to Nick and Max.

"Ouch. Harsh, dude. "

"Ya think?"

The sun was already high in the sky by the time the boys stopped for a rest on the trail. Sean was in the lead followed by Gabriel and the other boys, who were already complaining about their calves burning. Gabriel glanced down the mountain and saw what looked like a small town. He thought it might be a good idea to stop and get lunch, that is, if it had any restaurants to stop at. Maybe he could convince them to go since he was about to die from hunger. "Hey, guys! How about getting lunch in that town down there?" He called from where he stood.

"Why? Is wittle Gabriel hungry?" Sean joked as he walked by to check out what he'd found.

"You're pushing it, Sean. I'll drop-kick you down the mountain if you guys don't stop," Gabriel threatened.

All four boys made their way down to the town gradually, but it was nice to just be out in the sunshine with a breeze blowing off the mountains. Today was a beautiful day for hiking, and they hoped the rest of the week would be the same.

Thirty minutes later, they entered the town and discovered that the natives were very friendly towards them. Gabriel caught sight of a small diner about a block away and immediately went towards it with the others following behind him. Once inside, he picked a booth nearest one of the windows. After ordering, he found himself gazing out the window at a young woman across the street. It appeared that she was carrying something, but he wasn't sure as to what.

When Sean realized what his friend was staring at a bit of a smile gleamed at the corners of his mouth, "Aww, looks like Gabe's found a girl he fancies. I guess it was a good idea to come here. Nice work, Gabriel!"

Gabriel quickly turned to his friend, his cheeks starting to turn red, "I do not! I just happened to notice her, and I was wondering what she was carrying."

"Uh huh. Right. Don't deny it, you like her."

"Alright, fine! I do!"

"Then go talk to her…"

Right then, Max spoke up, "Don't forget to ask for her number!"

Both Gabriel and Sean stared at him, eyebrows furrowed, "You stay out of this!"

The discussion continued for several more minutes while the boys ate. They never even noticed when the girl Gabriel had been watching entered the diner to pick up an order before slipping out of the door, again. Only after they finished their lunch and tipped their waitress did they head outside. Sean, Max, and Nick saw a sports equipment store down the block and started for it, leaving Gabriel to do what he wanted.

A few minutes later he was leaning against a light pole when he saw the young woman a few yards away, heading for a dark green Camaro parked by the sidewalk. All of a sudden, he saw her stumble and drop her armful of items. The next thing he knew, he found himself running over to help. From the look of it, she was shopping for her mother or sister.

"Just great. The things I get for doing the shopping in the family."

Gabriel listened curiously to the woman mumbling to herself before seeing that one of her items had rolled a few feet away to where she couldn't see it, so he decided to give her a helping hand by picking it up. "Excuse me, miss. Here, I believe this is yours."

The woman looked up at Gabriel when she heard his voice. She saw that he had her lipstick and was very grateful, "Oh, thank you. I must have missed it," She took the lipstick from him and stuffed it in her purse before he offered his hand to help her up, "Thank you, again. That was very kind of you," After pushing some hair behind her ear she shook his hand, "Might I ask what your name is?"

When the question was posed towards him, he felt his cheeks turning red again. _Why do I always do that?! _"Uh, it's Gabriel Dawson."

"I'm Kate Rogers It's nice to meet you."

"Wait! Kate Rogers, as in _the_ Kate Rogers: daughter of Champ and Cheer Rogers?"

"Shh! I don't want people to know. If they ever found out my reputation would be shot," She was serious when she spoke about the subject matter.

"Don't worry, Kate. You're secret's safe with me," A smile appeared at the thought of holding such a secret that she had. Right from the start he found himself becoming quite fond of her. The next thing that drew his attention was her eyes: pale blue –almost crystal white- orbs sparkled in the sunlight, "You have really pretty eyes."

Kate was the one to blush this time. She had never before been complimented on her eye color. "Oh… thank you. I inherited them from my great grandmother on my daddy's side," As she got a better look of his face, his aqua blue eyes struck her fancy, "Wow! You've got some amazing eyes, yourself. I love that color."

"Yeah. My mom always talks about them, and I still haven't figured out why."

"Your accent… I don't think I've heard it before."

Gabriel chuckled warmly, "I'm from Texas."

"No, it sounds foreign. Scottish?"

"Irish… but close," He resumed leaning against a light pole, arms folded over his chest and one eyebrow arched in amusement, "I'm half Irish. My dad was born in Dublin, Ireland."

"Cool!" Kate was intrigued by this small sliver of history. She had never really been interested in hearing where people were from, but this guy's history seemed amusing. Before speaking again, something shiny caught her eye: Gabriel's Celtic necklace, "What type of symbol is that?"

Upon realizing what she was asking, he held it up for her to see better, "It's a Celtic Knot… Irish."

"It's really pretty. Do you always wear it?" Kate gently turned it over so as not to choke him. The intricate design of the knot made her examine it more closely to see every bit of the hard work that went into it.

"Yes, it's part of my heritage. I'm very proud of being Irish."

"Yeah, his boxers will tell you that much."

Gabriel's face turned red and he started sweating before his eyes darted to the right, zeroing in on his friend standing a few feet away. The look of death was the only greeting he gave, "Sean, I hope you have a death wish," he turned to face Kate, "Excuse me while I go pummel him."

Kate giggled at the sight of Gabriel chasing Sean halfway down the block before pinning him to the ground. She cracked up laughing when the sound of Sean shrieking like a girl could be heard. At least it was something to brighten her day. A smile appeared at the corners of her mouth when Gabriel returned with Sean limping behind him.

"Sorry about that. He was just asking for it," Gabriel explained, keeping his eye on his friend.

"It's all right," she stifled a few more giggles, "So, what's this about your boxers?"

His eyes widened as he tried to keep from blushing, "Oh, nothing, but this idiot seems to find them hilarious for some reason."

"They have little, green shamrocks on them!" Sean blurted out.

Gabriel quickly clamped his hand over Sean's mouth, "Shut. Up."

Kate continued laughing for a few more seconds; she found humor in watching guys get embarrassed over little things, "Really? Wow, that's cool. I've never met a guy quite like you, Gabriel."

"Is that a good thing?"

"Yes," when she glanced down at her watch she looked somewhat troubled, "I'm sorry, but I've got to go, Gabriel. See you around?"

"Yeah," his voice sounded hopeful, again.

She shook his hand once more, "Thanks, again."

"You're welcome, Kate."

After she drove off down the road, Gabriel looked down and found a small piece of paper in his hand. He had a tingling feeling in the pit of his stomach as he opened it. Written in fine handwriting were Kate's phone number, address, and the words 'come by any time'. The fact that a girl gave him her number made Gabriel feel like he was on air.

"Okay, dude. She likes you," Sean broke in after seeing the note.

"Why do you say that, Sean?"

"Gabe, a girl won't give you her number unless she likes you."

With another look at the note in his hand, a smile crept across his face. Could it be true? Did Kate really like him? If she did, then he'd have to show her that he was capable of being a suitable boy for her, but he wasn't going to take things too quickly. First thing to do was to get to know her better before even considering going out with her as boyfriend and girlfriend. Eventually, if things worked out, he'd like to make her his wife.

"Gabriel! Hello, are you there? Come in, Gabriel! Houston, we have a problem," Sean began shaking his friend in order to get his attention. After realizing that Gabriel wasn't all there, he smacked him across the face.

The impact of the hand to his face caused Gabriel to come to after the initial shock of a girl, particularly a very attractive girl, actually talked to him and wanted him to visit her at, none other, than her house, "What the heck was that for?!"

"Come on, Romeo. The guys are probably wondering what happened to us."

During the rest of the hike, Gabriel kept thinking about meeting Kate in town after she had dropped her groceries and such. They had immediately liked each other from the first word, but what was it about her that he liked the most? _Gosh, she had amazing eyes, and her laugh… Yes, her laugh was so adorable. I hope she didn't think I was an idiot for seeing me blush. Why do I have to do that so easily? _When he looked up he found himself heading right for a giant tree, and quickly stepped out of the way to keep from hitting it.

"Okay, Gabriel, you've got it bad. You almost ran into a tree," Sean fell back to walk with his best friend, "Just go and see her tomorrow. I'm sure she'd be happy to see you, again."

"I don't know."

"Are you afraid?"

"No. I just don't know if she'd want me to drop by so soon after meeting. I don't want her to think I'm desperate," He contemplated everything his friend had said and considered it, but he still wasn't sure about going to see her again. Maybe it was best to just move on with his life, but then, he really felt that there was a possibility of their new friendship going further, "Alright, I'll go see her tomorrow. I just hope she doesn't mind me all of a sudden showing up at her house."

His friend rolled his eyes at the words that were said, "I'm sure she wouldn't mind. Besides, Nick, Max and I are just going to go check out Mt. Rainier. Nothing fascinating."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Morning was somewhat comforting when Gabriel awoke from his restless night. Maybe if he continued on with his plan his day would get better, and hopefully Kate would be happy to see him. _Well, time to go see where she lives. _As he walked through the town, he had second thoughts about going, but then they faded away after he pulled out the address and realized he was getting closer.

The road to Kate's home was covered in wildflowers and tall trees beside it. A few birds chirped cheerfully when Gabriel passed by, clearly enjoying the landscape around him; being away from the other guys turned out to be a good idea after all. Up ahead, a tall gate loomed, surrounded by flowerbeds. After checking the address once more, he was convinced that this was the right place. "Okay, time to go show myself. Hopefully her father isn't home."

After knocking on the front door, he waited for a few seconds before the door opened. Standing in the doorway was none other than Kate's father, Champ. _Crap._ "Hi, is Kate here?"

A smile spread across Champ's face at the sight of Gabriel. "Ah, you must be the one who helped my little girl yesterday. It's nice to meet you," He shook Gabriel's hand, then turned to the living room, "Kate! Get your butt down here!"

Gabriel looked inside while waiting on Kate to come downstairs. Pounding on the landing told him she was on her way, but he almost panicked when he saw her stumble on the bottom step and fall flat on her stomach. Instantly, he ran over to help her up to her feet, "Oh my gosh! Are you all right?"

Kate dusted herself off, mumbling something under her breath, "Yeah, I'm fine," When she looked up at the person who was talking her eyes sparkled in surprise, "Gabriel! What are you doing here?"

"You said to come by any time. So, here I am," His eyebrows rose at the sight of her expression, "Is this a bad time?"

"No! I just wasn't expecting you to come this soon… or at all."

Champ sidestepped out of the room to give the two of them privacy so they could talk and catch up on things. Secretly, he hoped that their newfound friendship would develop into something more, but he would let them decide where it would go. _Nice guy, and Kate seems very fond of him considering she never stopped talking about him last night._

Once he was out of earshot, Kate led Gabriel over to the couch where she motioned for him to have a seat, "So, how have you been? Did you sleep well last night?"

He sighed heavily and leaned back against the couch, "Not really."

"Oh, How come?"

"My friends kept talking about you and me. They think I should make you my girlfriend and all this other crap."

"What's wrong with that?"

Her question made him look over at her, "Nothing, but I just didn't want to rush things. Do you know what I mean?"

"Yes… but you shouldn't let something like that get you down," She bit her lip while deciding whether or not to tell him how she felt about the whole thing, then made up her mind, "Besides, I am very grateful for your kind service yesterday, and I really like you."

Both of them started to blush violently, but calmed down when Kate asked another question. "So… um, what do you do as one of your hobbies?"

The question was one he was happy to answer since he enjoyed doing it so much, "I'm a Civil War re-enactor. I ride in the 1st Texas Cavalry with my friend, Sean whenever we go to a reenactment. Actually, the one in my home town is coming up in a few months."

"Cool!" She seemed sincerely intrigued by what he was saying that she had to ask more. "Are there any girl re-enactors?"

"Sure. There's always hundreds of them running around in those giant dresses and hoop skirts. There's even some in the infantry and artillery."

Kate sat listening to every word that came out of his mouth. She had never imagined meeting someone like Gabriel, who seemed like the type who would be involved in things such as a reenactment. "You know, I've always had this secret passion for that kind of thing, but my parents have expected me to continue singing like them or go into the medical field."

"You don't have to do it. Just go in the direction you choose," He cleared his throat while twisting a tassel on the couch, "How old are you, Kate?"

"Twenty-three. How about you?"

"Twenty-four."

"Really? Wow."

Gabriel and Kate sat in complete silence for a few minutes, waiting for the other to say something. It could have been that neither one of them knew what to say or how far would be appropriate to ask. They listened to Kate's father upstairs talking to Roxanne. Eventually, Kate stood up and offered her hand to help him up.

"Want to go outside and walk around?" She asked with a small smile.

He returned the smile before following her out the front door and into the rose garden. "Have you ever had a boyfriend?"

"I've never really had a desire to have one."

"Oh." At hearing her answer, Gabriel sounded a little hurt. He had hoped that she would want to have him as her boyfriend.

Kate glanced over at him, and seeing his hurt expression, felt bad about what she had said and wanted to make up for it, "But that's different now. I think I found the perfect man this week."

His face brightened a little after hearing her, "Oh, who?"

"Well, he's the cutest guy I've ever met, and I absolutely love his personality and smile," The way she held her voice made the conversation sound a little mysterious. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Gabriel walking beside her with his hands in his jeans pockets. "Plus, every time he blushes it make me want to kiss him."

Almost instantly, Gabriel stumbled and ran into a small tree that he could have swore popped up out of nowhere, or maybe it was from the initial shock of the one girl that he found attractive saying she wanted to kiss him. At least, he hoped he was the one she was referring to. _Wow, she's not afraid to say what she feels_, he thought while Kate pulled him up to his feet.

"Are you okay?" Kate slapped his cheek in order to snap him back to reality.

"Yeah, but for a minute I thought you said you wanted to kiss me."

"I did," She waited for him to reply, but he never did. A snicker emerged when his blushing face caught her attention; this was one thing about him that had always made her smile ever since they had met, "You're blushing!" After finding a mirror in her pocket, Kate handed it to him, "You blush easily, don't you?"

"Yes," Gabriel turned the mirror so he could see the color of his cheeks, "And it's so embarrassing when I do."

She stepped over beside him and rested her chin on his shoulder, then reached up to pinch the apple of his cheek. "I think it's cute, Gabriel. Actually, that's what made me notice you yesterday," Her tone turned soft and sweet in the next few seconds she was near him. There was something about his presence that emanated from him every time he said something in his smooth, fluent Irish accent; it made her feel comfortable. _Now that kind of voice is one every man should have. _"Good heavens! Your accent is just about to cause me to have a heart attack!"

"Why?"

"Every time you say something it sends shivers down my spine."

"Then, do you want me to stop talking?"

"No! I love your voice," Kate took his hand in her own, shaking slightly from nervousness. His grip was gentle on hers whenever he felt her touch. Never before had she felt anything like she did now around Gabriel. _He has no idea how much I like him. Hmm, I think I'll take him to my mountain ridge, _"Gabriel, follow me. I want to show you something very special to me."

The path they took to Kate's ridge was magical in a sense, surrounded by flowering plants and different colored stones making up the path they followed. It almost looked like a horse had travelled it many times over the years from the way the patches of dirt had been exposed from underneath the stones. A few paces ahead of them a rabbit darted out of a berry bush into a patch of mountain laurel, making the two laugh. The landscape seemed so peaceful and refreshing from being up at a higher altitude. In the distance the snow-capped peak of Mt. Rainier soared above the cotton-like clouds, standing proud and majestic among the smaller mountains of the Cascade Range.

_If only Mom could see this place, see would love it! _Gabriel thought as he followed closely behind Kate, keeping an eye on the way she stepped gracefully over the small logs obstructing the path. _I wonder what Kate's thinking right now, _"Where are you taking me, Kate?"

"You'll see!" Her voice resonated off the rocks beside the path.

"Oh no! Is this the part where you get me in a secluded area, kill me, and leave me for the wolves?"

She chuckled warmly at his attempt at a joke, "No. Just wait, we're almost there." A few minutes later, Kate pulled back an evergreen branch, revealing a large mountain ridge covered in laurel and the delicate, creamy white blossoms of Lily of the Valley. Toward the edge of the ridge, overlooking the mountain range was a gray rock which could be used for sitting on. From some unknown area of the forest, the crashing of a waterfall could be heard, along with the various noises of animals curious to see who had entered their part of the forest.

"Well, this is it," Kate sucked in a lungful of air before leading Gabriel over to the sitting rock.

At the sight of the ridge, Gabriel stared in pure amazement. Never in his life had he seen a place quite as beautiful. Well, maybe one but that would be revealed later when he was ready to show Kate. For now, he would just relax and enjoy the scenery around him. "Wow! How did you find this place, Kate?"

"I was just riding Honey one day and we kind of stumbled across it," She sat down on the rock and motioned for Gabriel to join her, "This is where I come when I need to be alone or to think. It just gives me a sense of peace."

He remained quiet for some time, soaking in what she had said, "You know, that's how I feel after the reenactments I go to, and in the early morning hours before the other re-enactors are awake and making noise."

"Have you ever been to this reenactment called Honey Springs? I hear it happens every three years, and I was wondering if you'd been since you live so close to it."

"No, but I'm going this year with Sean and some other cavalry members, Gabriel became quiet while he thought about the reenactment. "Would you like to go with me?"

Kate's eyes widened in shock; even though she had always wanted to go to one, she didn't know what to wear so she'd be period correct, "I'd love to, but I don't have any period clothes. Plus, what would I sleep in?"

"Time to start sewing, then," He chuckled. "As for sleeping accommodations, I've got a large wall tent that I always use, and I'll need help setting it up. Not to mention, our cook is really amazing when it comes to cooking over a campfire in cast iron pans and kettles."

"I don't sew. Which means I guess I can't go with you," She became sadden by the fact, but cheered up when she felt Gabriel wrap his arm around her shoulders.

"Don't worry, I know someone who can make you some dresses and underpinnings to fit you."

"Underpinnings?"

"…The clothes that you wear underneath the dress, like the corset, pantalets, and chemise."

"Oh," She leaned closer to him without even realizing it, "I'd appreciate it greatly if you could ask her."

"I'd be happy to, Kate," He felt somewhat uncomfortable with her getting closer to him. _Oh no. What am I supposed to do now? I don't want to disappoint her, so I don't want to move too quickly. _"So, you'd seriously like to go with me?"

"Of course! I just don't know how your re-enactor friends will feel about me being there."

"They'd love to have you there. Actually, they keep asking me when I'm going to bring a woman," He could feel his cheeks blushing slightly and tried to hide it, but it was useless.

"You're blushing, again!" Kate started laughing before hugging him tightly, "You're so cute when you do that. It makes me smile every time."

The evening started to get cool while the two enjoyed strolling along the banks of a stream, which wound its way through the forest. Kate had wrapped her sweater around her shoulders with Gabriel holding onto her hand, taking small steps in order for her to keep up with him. They were on their way to the house when they heard a noise behind them, and turned around to see Nick and Max advancing quickly with sneers on their faces. Gabriel stopped, along with Kate, to see what they needed.

"Well, looks like we found out where he's been all day, Max," Nick held an edge to his voice and sneered, "We've been wondering where you've been, Gabriel, but it's very clear to us, now. So, you think it's better to ditch us when we went to Mt. Rainier for this girl?"

Gabriel clenched his fists, trying to keep himself from punching Nick in the face," What I do is none of your business. Leave us alone, Nick… and where is Sean?"

"Who knows? He disappeared an hour ago. Didn't want to come," He turned to face Kate, "So, has he screwed with you, yet?"

Kate was shocked by the question, and even disgusted, "Excuse me?!"

"I'm guessing that's a 'no'. Well, that's just like him. Little Gabe's too afraid to even think about going that far. He hasn't even kissed a girl."

"Shut up, Nick. That's not true… I'm warning you," Gabriel was outraged at this point with Kate standing behind him for protection.

Max was the one to speak next, "She's mighty pretty. I'd surely like her to be my girlfriend."

"Gross!" Kate started backing away when Gabriel leaned over and whispered in her ear.

"Run, Kate! Get back to your house!"

At his instruction, Kate bolted in the opposite direction, leaping over a downed tree and panicked when she heard Nick tell Max to go after her and bring her back. The tension she felt in her entire body was overwhelming; she had to get to the house, knowing it was just on the other side of the tall pines ahead of her. The next thing she knew, she was yanked to the ground where her head hit a small rock. Max held onto her calves while she scrambled to get to her feet, "Get away from me! Gabriel… Help me!"

Meanwhile, Gabriel and Nick were still confronting each other by the stream. Both of them were up in each other's faces, spitting threats until the other snapped. Gabriel was near punching Nick until his so-called 'friend' said, "You know, I don't think you deserve that girl. She probably doesn't even like you, Gabe."

"That's a lie! And what makes you think you deserve her?"

Nick leaned back and pointed toward himself, "Because I can give her what she wants."

"Kate would never give you something so precious!"

"Like she'd give it to you."

Gabriel clenched his teeth together, growling deep in his throat, "I hope you burn in Hell."

Upon hearing Gabriel, Nick pulled back his hand, and thrusting it forward, hit Gabriel square in the cheek. Gabriel felt Nick's ring catch the skin under his cheekbone and cut a gash across it. Warm blood trickled down his cheek, but he stood there, seething.

"Get out of here, Nick… and don't you ever come around Kate or me again."

"Fine," Nick glared at Gabriel for a long time before turning and running off.

For a few minutes Gabriel forced himself to calm down until he heard Sean heading toward him, "Sean, what are you doing here?"

His friend skidded to a stop before plowing into Gabriel, "I called your phone to warn you about Nick and Max… where's Kate?"

"I told her to run, and Max went after her. I pray she made it to the house."

A loud scream in the distance alerted the boys of the worst. Both of them took off running with Gabriel in the lead, determined to get to Kate before she was hurt. Within two minutes time, they found her curled up on the ground, crying. Gabriel noticed she had a few cuts on her arm and a large bruise on her hip.

"Oh, my God. Kate, what happened?" Gabriel dropped down to his knees beside her.

She tried to speak, but was too shaken to get the words out. Her condition told Gabriel she needed medical attention, and remembered Kate telling him earlier in the afternoon that her father was a doctor at the hospital in town.

"Sean, we have to get her to the hospital so her dad can check her over for injuries," Gabriel gently lifted her into his arms and walked with Sean toward the truck where he laid her across the back seat. Afterwards, he got in the driver's seat next to his friend before pulling out of the driveway onto the main road into town. _God, this is all my fault. I shouldn't have told her to run when I knew something like this was going to happen. _He quickly glanced over the back of the seat to check on the young woman, "Hang on, Kate. We're taking you to the hospital, because you need to be examined for any internal injuries."

By the time they pulled into the hospital's parking lot Kate was moaning in pain. Once the truck was parked, Gabriel removed her from the back seat and carried her up to the front desk just inside the front door. The receptionist looked at the three of them, stunned when she realized that one of her boss's daughters had been brought in.

"We need doctor Rogers!" Gabriel practically yelled at the receptionist.

"Which one?"

Gabriel stared at the receptionist for a few seconds before replying, "They both work here? Then get her father!"

The receptionist nodded and quickly got on the intercom, "Doctor Champ Rogers, we need you down here at the front desk immediately."

Several long minutes had passed by when Kate's father ran down the hallway, his white doctor's coat flapping out behind him. The instant he saw Gabriel holding Kate, who was lying limp in his arms, the questions flew.

"What happened to her, Gabriel?" Champ leaned over and inspected a small cut on her upper arm.

"I'd rather not talk about it out here," Gabriel's voice sounded grim as he looked around to see who was around.

Champ's head snapped up, "Gabriel I need to know what happened in order for me to figure out how to help her. If you don't feel comfortable saying it out loud, then tell me in my ear."

Gabriel glanced down at Kate, who moaned again, and sighed. He knew he had to tell Champ what had happened, otherwise Kate might be in serious danger. The thought that she had had something so special ripped away from her made him cringe.

Once Champ knew what to look for, he took her back to an exam room, leaving Sean and Gabriel sitting in some of the leather chairs by the tall glass windows of the front lobby. Sean did everything he could to cheer his friend up, but Gabriel was too down in the dumps to even care… he barely even noticed the gash on his cheek.

"God, why did I let that happen to her," Gabriel slumped forward with his head in his hands.

Sean laid his hand on his back to console him, "She's going to be all right, Gabriel. Her dad will know how to help her."

An hour crept by while the boys waited on the news of Kate. Finally, Champ returned to the lobby, a small smile on his face. He sat down next to Gabriel and immediately noticed the gash, "Looks like you got popped a good one," He joked and gently prodded around the wound, "Ah, this will just need a few stitches, nothing to worry about. Now, I suppose you want to know about Kate's condition."

"Yes, how is she?"

"She wasn't hurt too badly, just a couple bumps and scrapes. Now, I did give her some medicine to prevent her from getting pregnant," Champ prepared to stick the injection of a numbing agent into Gabriel's cheek, "You're gonna feel a little sting."

Gabriel winced slightly from the poke, "It's my fault this happened to her. I shouldn't have told her to run."

"No, it's not. You were just trying to protect her, and I thank you for that," Kate's father finished suturing the gash and clipped off the excess, "She's going to be pretty sore for a few days, but she'll be fine. And I'd appreciate it if you would take her home and have her rest. Cheer's here, and Kate will listen to you before she will her mother."

"Alright, and would it be okay if Sean stays with us?" Gabriel indicated his friend sitting beside him.

"It's fine with me, and I'm sure Kate would be happy with the extra company."

Kate leaned against Gabriel on the way back to her house while Sean drove the short distance. He kept glancing back at the two, but decided to leave them be. The signs of Gabriel and Kate's friendship growing into something more was obvious in so many ways, especially now.

The sky was completely dark when Sean helped Gabriel get Kate into the house where they had her lay on the couch. She tried to get back up as soon as her body touched the couch cushions, but Gabriel gently forced her back down.

"You need to take it easy, Kate," His voice was soft but had authority when he spoke. He figured she'd listen to him, instead she refused to obey what he asked, "I'm serious. You're hurt and need to rest."

"I will not! You can't tell me what I need to do," Kate crossed her arms over her chest in defiance.

Gabriel rubbed his temples with his eyes closed, "Yes, you are definitely southern in my book. Now, will you please lie down?"

"What part of 'no' don't you get?"

"Sean, help me."

"Sorry. This is all you," Sean was leaning against the door frame, watching the squabble, "Congratulations! You're first fight."

"Shut up."

"Well, I better go. I need to get a hotel room," And with that, Gabriel's friend disappeared into the night.

Some time later Kate agreed to rest, only if Gabriel let her lay against him. He had kicked off his shoes before finding a comfortable position leaning against the corner of the couch with his legs stretched out across the cushions. Kate's body felt soft as cotton on his, except that she had rather bony shoulders which jabbed him in the ribs. _This is going to be so difficult when I have to leave. I better let her know now so she can prepare herself, _"Kate, I have to leave on Sunday to go back home. I just want you to know now so you won't be in for a surprise when that day comes."

She lifted her head to get a better look at him and whispered, "I don't want you to leave."

"I know, I know," He held her close to him, breathing in her sweet scent that he had become so fond of. If it was up to him, nothing in the world would keep him from her. Eventually, both of them had fallen asleep, not even stirring when Kate's parents had returned home from the hospital.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

On the last night of Gabriel's vacation, he and Kate sat silently on the rock in the beautiful clearing. Neither of them was ready for what was coming in mere minutes- saying goodbye. They had grown so close to one another over the past week that it would be hard to bare not seeing each other. Everything had turned out to be the best time of their lives, now it would have to end.

_God, why does it have to be like this? I don't want to leave, but I have to go home, _Gabriel was trying to keep himself from breaking down altogether while thinking about what he could do to cheer Kate up. Eventually, the tension became too much for him, and he got up and started pacing. "Kate, I have to leave, my home is in Texas. You know I don't want to, but I have to. My family and friends are there."

"What about me? Don't you care anything about me… about us?" Kate's voice wavered as she bit back tears; she had grown so fond of Gabriel and wanted to stay with him.

"Of course I do, Kate. You can't possibly think otherwise," He stopped in front of her and tilted her head back to look into her eyes. "I don't want to leave you, but I don't have any other choice. I'll still take you with me to a reenactment, but I need to figure out what's going on with my life, right now," Gabriel wrapped her up in a hug when she started to cry. "Oh, please don't cry, Kate. You'll see me again."

Kate held onto him tightly, continuing to cry even though she didn't want to, "I don't want you to leave, Gabriel."

He pulled out his phone to check the time, cursing under his breath when he realized their time was almost up, "I've got to go now, I can't miss my flight," with a final hug, he would end his vacation, but not before impulse forced him to do something that shocked both of them.

Before Kate knew what was happening, she felt Gabriel tenderly press his lips to hers. The sudden show of affection almost caused her to go into convulsions of joy. From that moment on it was very clear where his feelings were. _Oh, my gosh! Is he seriously kissing me? _All too soon, the intoxicating moment ended when Gabriel pulled away from her and stood straight.

"I've got to go, but don't worry, I'll stay in touch. I promise, Kate," And with that, he turned to walk down the path, leaving her sitting on the rock, staring after him until she could no longer see his figure in the growing darkness.

The time passed slowly while Gabriel and Sean waited to board their plane that would take them back to their sunny home state. Nick and Max had already gone back, but Sean had stayed with Gabriel. For Gabriel, the time couldn't pass any slower since it meant he was still near to Kate, but that changed when their number was called to board. _Great, now I'm having second thoughts._

"Come on, Gabe," Sean pulled his friend up from the chair and the two of them started down the jet bridge.

About halfway down, Gabriel stopped dead in his tracks, unmoving. _What am I doing? This isn't right. _He stared right at his friend when Sean turned around after realizing Gabriel had stopped, "What are you doing? The plane's getting ready to leave."

"I can't do this, Sean."

"Yes, you can. You did it the first time. Just get on and buckle up, it's that easy," after seeing his friend still staring, he continued. "Look, you'll get on that plane even if I have to get behind you and push."

Gabriel picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder, "I'm not going, Sean. I can't leave."

"Oh, no! Gabriel, you can't be serious! You just met her, and now you're staying because of her?" Sean rubbed his temples as he contemplated the issue.

"I'm sorry, Sean," Without another word, Gabriel turned his back on his past life and ran back up the jet bridge, to what mattered now. When he got outside of the airport the rain had started to fall in sheets, again, but he didn't care. Once inside another rental truck, he gunned the engine before speeding away from the airport. When he pulled onto the highway, he nearly collided with a tractor trailer, but that was the least of his worries. _This is the right path, and no one is going to tell me otherwise. I'm sure Mom's going to have a fit when she finds out, but I could care less._

The rain continued to fall as the truck pulled into the long driveway which lead to the large house, whose lights twinkled in the dark. After slamming the truck door shut, Gabriel hurried up the porch steps two at a time and rang the doorbell, hoping Kate would be the one to answer. His hopes were dashed when Kate's father opened the door.

"Gabriel? I thought you had a plane to catch?"

"Long story, but no time to tell," He glanced inside, trying to see if Kate was in the living room. "Can I speak with Kate?"

Champ's face fell slightly, "She hasn't come back in, and her mother and I are getting worried. You would think she'd have enough sense to come inside when it's raining."

Upon hearing that Kate hadn't returned home, Gabriel knew exactly where to find her, "I know where she is," He immediately took off running up the path leading to the mountain ridge where he had left her. His face lit up when he saw her through the darkness and rain, still sitting on the rock, her elbows resting on her knees and her face in her hands. It seemed as if she never even noticed the rain soaking her, nor cared. Gabriel felt horrible seeing her in this state after he had left her. "Kate!"

The rain-soaked woman lifted her head after hearing the familiar Irish accent she had fallen in love with. Her heart started beating once more as Gabriel walked toward her through the sheeting rain, his aqua eyes twinkling in the faint moonlight, "Gabriel… what are you doing? You're going to miss your flight."

Gabriel gathered Kate up in his arms, resting his cheek against hers while she choked back tears. Even he had to contain himself from breaking down and crying, "No, I'm not… because I'm not going. There are just some things that are more important to me," He rubbed her back in order to soothe her after causing her so much pain. "Now, let's get you inside before you catch a cold. Your parents are worried about you," wth a small heave, he carefully lifted her into his arms.

"Well, you're quite the gentleman," Kate commented after a while.

"No, I just don't want you falling. The path is very slippery, and I should know. I just about twisted my hip out of socket," Gabriel glanced down at her rain-streaked face. "Just curious, but how long were you going to sit there?"

She chuckled softly, "I don't know. Until you came back or Daddy called out a search team… Wait! How'd you get here so quickly?"

"I was doing about eighty on the highway. Good thing there weren't any cops around."

"Wow! You are a rebel," She shifted her weight. "Why didn't you go? Scared of flying?"

His eyebrows furrowed, "Why do you people think I'm scared of flying?"

A few minutes late, Gabriel opened the front door with Kate still in his arms, insisting he put her down. Eventually her parents entered the room with worried expressions on their faces. Cheer immediately went over to them and started fussing like a mother hen.

"Good heavens! Look at you two!" She exclaimed when she saw the water dripping off them.

"Where do you want me to take her, Mrs. Rogers?" Gabriel questioned and shifted his weight

"Upstairs to change…"

Champ broke in while trying to hide a smile, "And it looks like you could use a change yourself."

"I've got some dry clothes out in the truck," He glanced down at Kate when he felt her kick him in the thigh. "Yes? Can I help you?"

"For the last time, put me DOWN!" Her voice held a tinge of anger as well as annoyance; she wasn't about to be treated like a damsel in distress.

On command, Gabriel dropped her on the couch without saying a word. He smirked before going heading outside to get his clothes, trying to figure out where he was going to sleep. _I wonder how comfortable the truck would be? Nah, I'll just get a hotel room in town. _His thoughts dwindled when he walked back into the warm house where he smelled coffee brewing. The next thing he knew Champ had snuck up behind him with a dry towel.

"You can change in the upstairs bathroom, and then come down here and warm up with some coffee. Do you drink coffee?"

"Yes, all the time," Gabriel quickly scaled the stairs in order to get to the bathroom before he had to explain about the reenactments. On the way down the hall he passed by Kate's room, where the door wasn't completely shut. To save himself an embarrassing explanation later, he decided it was best not to look. Once he was safe in the bathroom, Gabriel stripped off his soaking clothes and hung them over the shower curtain rod before drying off with the towel Champ had given him, thinking about different things as he did so. _Her parents seem really nice. I hope they like me._

By the time he returned to the living room, Kate was already curled up on the couch, a fleece blanket wrapped around her while she sipped from her mug of coffee. Her head shot up when she heard him enter, her eyes shining in the lamplight,"That was fast!"

"You learn to dress quickly when you're a re-enactor and have officers yelling at you to start drilling. Believe me, some of these people insist on doing everything authentically," Gabriel pulled over a chair and sat down facing her. "I've had the misfortune of getting hit across the head with the side of a sergeant's sword all because my "CS" belt buckle wasn't polished, not to mention, slightly off center. And get this, I was a major at the time, a higher-ranking officer than the sergeant!"

"Well, you should have had your buckle polished. By the way, what happened to the sergeant?"

"He switched over to the Union side."

Kate's parents walked into the room before sitting down next to Kate, who wanted to hear more about Gabriel's fascinating hobby. Champ raised an eyebrow at the green bear, "So, what's this about you being a re-enactor?"

"Oh, I'm a Confederate Civil War re-enactor," Gabriel replied happily.

"Just Confederate?"

"Okay, I take that back. Sometimes I have to switch sides when they don't have enough damn Yankees registered," He found himself staring at Kate longer than he intended since her parents were watching his every move. _There's no reason to start freaking out. _"But I still enjoy every minute of it. Actually, I asked Kate if she'd like to go with me to a reenactment sometime."

The room remained silent for several seconds until Cheer spoke up, a hint of excitement in her voice, "That sounds like fun. You should definitely take up his offer, Kate. I bet you'll have a blast!" Then posed a question toward Gabriel. "When is the next reenactment?"

Gabriel sighed, "Well, the next one is in my hometown of Jefferson, but the registration is already full. However, I might be able to get her in. The one I'll be going to after that is Honey Springs, and I'm planning on taking her to that one, also," He smiled warmly at the blond bear sitting across from him, who returned the smile with her eyes. "That is, if she still wants to go."

Kate immediately sat up straight, causing her blanket to fall from her shoulders. She didn't even care if they were exposed to the cold air, "Of course I do! I want to experience how people lived back in that era."

For over an hour the four of them sat in the room talking about Gabriel and what he did as a re-enactor. Kate and her parents listened intently while he explained how the tents were set up in rows. They enjoyed listening to everything he had to say and didn't even realize how late it was getting. After a while Cheer brought up another question.

"Where are you staying tonight, Gabriel?"

The question startled Gabriel somewhat; since he had gotten into talking about re-enacting he had forgotten about his sleeping situation, "Oh, I was going to get a hotel room."

"Nonsense! You can stay here tonight so you don't have to worry about finding a hotel. Also, I'm sure the spare room is much cleaner."

"Are you serious? You want me to stay here… in the same house as your daughter?" He looked at her skeptically.

Cheer leaned over and set her hand on his shoulder, "We trust you, Gabriel. You've been very sweet to Kate, and we thank you for that." She glanced over at Kate, who was drifting closer to sleep. "Now, you two better get some sleep."

Kate walked Gabriel down the hallway, where she stopped at the door to the spare bedroom. She watched him curiously while he took the opportunity to kiss her once more. After parting, he hugged her before closing the door and heading over to the bed where he crawled under the warm blankets. _Hopefully I'll be able to sleep tonight, knowing Kate is just down the hall. Apparently her parents do like me, otherwise they probably would have told me to leave. _Gabriel turned over onto his back so that he was staring up at the dark ceiling, his eyelids becoming heavy.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 **

A small jostling of the bed woke Gabriel up early the next morning, and he opened his eyes to find Kate's pale eyes gazing down into his. The pleasant awakening was the foretelling of a great day for the both of them. Normally, Gabriel wasn't one for being woken up early unless he was at a reenactment.

"Good morning!" Kate greeted him in her sweet voice. "Breakfast is ready."

He pushed himself onto his elbows so he could see her more clearly, "Really? What time is it?"

"Seven-thirty," she headed for the door and stopped when he started to say something. "Shall I wait for you to get dressed?"

"If you want. It won't take me long," Gabriel was already out of bed and reaching for his jeans, which had somehow ended up folded on the chair by the window, along with his shirt. _Kate._ He noticed the house felt warm as he walked out into the hallway to meet up with Kate while pulling his long hair back into a ponytail at the nape of his neck.

Kate's parents greeted them at the kitchen table a few minutes later. Both of them seemed to be in a good mood, but Gabriel knew from experience that parents could change in a heartbeat.

"Did you sleep well, Gabriel?" Champ was busy giving Roxanne her bottle; otherwise the four of them would have to endure her crying throughout breakfast.

"It took me a little while to fall asleep, but yes," he started loading his plate with bacon, sausage, hashbrowns, and eggs. "I guess I just had too much on my mind last night."

Cheer was the next person to ask a question, "So, what are your plans for today?"

"Well, I need to call my mother, because I'm sure she's..." As if on cue, Gabriel's cell phone started to ring, making him cringe. _Just lovely. _"Yes?... Mom, I'm fine… I'm still in Washington… No, I did not get thrown in jail, at least not yet… Mom, calm down!... I don't know when I'll be home… Okay, Mom, breathe!... Stop freaking out… Don't you dare call the police… Yes, I'll call Dad," _Like he's worried about me, anyway. _"Okay, bye, Mom… Bye!" He quickly snapped his phone shut and shoved it into his pocket, then looked up to see the other three staring directly at him, eyebrows raised. "Okay, that went over well. Next time remind me to call her the night I'm supposed to be home so she doesn't have an aneurysm."

Kate chuckled as she chewed a piece of egg before getting up to put her plate in the sink, "Gabriel, do you think you could show us some of the things you do in the cavalry?"

A smile came to Gabriel's face as soon as she asked the question, "Do you have a horse I can work with? Preferably one who's well-trained?"

Gabriel trotted the brown gelding around in a tight circle, then turned him the other direction; a way of making the horse learn to follow its rider's sudden decisions. Afterwards, he pushed the gelding into a canter and jerked back on the reins, causing him to skid to a stop in front of Kate, "Now, that's just basic drill. The next thing I'm going to show you guys is very dangerous, and I'm the only one in my cavalry division who's trained to do this. Don't worry, your horse will be fine," he whipped the gelding around and kicked him until he was galloping down the pasture, when all of a sudden Gabriel jerked the reins up and to the side while using leg pressure, pulling the horse off its feet. The impact of the ground came quickly, but Gabriel brought the horse right back to its feet and eased him to a stop before dismounting. "And there you have it."

"When do you ever do that?" Kate was still in shock after seeing one of their horses pulled to the ground.

"There are times when I'm supposed to act like Bo gets hit by a bullet during the battle. He is specially trained just for that maneuver."

Champ stood nearby with his arms crossed over his chest, "Impressive. You've got quite a deal going for you with this reenactment business," right at that moment he realized what time it was. "Oh, we've got to get to work, Cheer," then turned back to Kate and Gabriel. "We won't be back until late tonight, so you two just find something to occupy yourselves with. And Gabriel…"

The green bear looked up, "Yes?"

"Feel free to stay here again tonight. Cheer and I don't mind a bit."

"Okay, thank you. I appreciate it very much."

The afternoon grew into a beautiful centerpiece for the two after her parents had left. They decided to walk around outside and enjoy the warm sunshine while they could, along with learning more about each other's lives. As the moments ticked by, Kate moved ever closer to Gabriel, taking in his features. At a closer glance, she saw that Gabriel had a small, gold hoop earring in the cartilage of his left ear.

"Wow! I didn't realize your ear was pierced," she commented. "Did it hurt?"

He turned his attention over to her, a smile shining, "Not really."

"Who did it?"

"Sean. He held me down and shoved one of Mom's sewing needles through after numbing it with ice," without even thinking, Gabriel wrapped his arm around Kate's waist, feeling how delicate she was, which brought back the painful memory of the peril she had been through earlier in the week. "Are you feeling better now?"

"I'm still a little sore, but I can handle it."

He sighed heavily, "Kate, I am so sorry that happened to you. I should have stayed with you."

Kate lightly pressed her finger to his lips, silencing him, "It's not your fault. I could be seriously hurt, or possibly even dead, if it wasn't for you. I was so scared at the time, but then you showed up to comfort me. You even got yourself injured in the process."

"It's okay. Believe me, I would have been hurt a lot worse if something happened to you… Well, worse than what did."

She chuckled to herself, and then caught sight of movement ahead of them. At a closer look she saw that it was a doe and her fawns retreating into the safety of the forest, "So cute. Do you have any wildlife where you live, Gabriel?"

"Do skunks and opossums count?"

Kate burst out laughing, tears coming to her eyes, "No, I don't think so."

"The dang critters keep getting into the trash and driving Charlie nuts."

"Is Charlie your dog?"

"Yeah, he's our Golden Retriever. Actually, he's my parents dog, but for some reason he likes to sleep with me," Gabriel rolled his eyes and sighed. "He's a great personal space heater in the winter."

"I can see why."

During the relaxing walk Kate concentrated on keeping her eyes averted so as to not strike up an inappropriate conversation, but curiosity got the better of her, "Have you ever had a girlfriend?"

"No," _Damn! I shouldn't have said that. I'm just digging my hole deeper. _"Well, yeah, but I'll tell you about it later."

She was confused by what he was saying, but didn't want to intrude on his personal life. If it was anything, she wanted to gain his trust up front, and that would be the wrong way of going about it. Instead, she thought of another question to ask, "Since you're Irish, do you drink whisky?"

The question made him laugh out loud for a few seconds, "Okay, just because I'm Irish you automatically assume I drink whisky? Actually, I do… but only at reenactments, and even then I stay more than half way sober considering I'm in charge of the 1st Texas Cavalry. Wouldn't that be lovely, me instructing a bunch of rebels, who are probably drunker than a skunk, in the middle of cannon fire and a gaggle of squirrely guys who don't even know which haversack they put their gunpowder and caps in. I swear my horse gets drunker than I do. Some of the guys in our camp pour the rest of their bottles into his water bucket. Now, when you have twenty or thirty men in camp, all with their bottles half empty when they pour it in, it makes for one drunken horse. One morning Bo was stumbling around so much there was no hope for him being ridden that day," Gabriel grinned at Kate's surprised expression. "So, does that answer your question?"

Kate was almost too stunned to reply, but she eventually found her voice, "Uh, yeah. Okay, what are your parents like, Gabriel?"

"My dad's just like me; we both have the Irish accent, but his is much stronger since he's from Dublin. My mom is from Arkansas and acts pretty much the same as your mom," _You'll get to meet them really soon if I stick to my plan. Good thing I always keep that ring with me. Maybe this time it will stay on a woman's finger longer than it had. God, I miss you, Susan._ "Anything else?"

She thought long and hard for several minutes before thinking of something else to ask, "Have you ever suffered a heartache?"

The wrong question to ask; Gabriel could feel the tears building up, but he shook his head in order to diminish the painful memory from earlier on in his life. When Kate noticed the hurt look in his eyes she instantly regretted asking her question, "I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have asked that."

He held up his hand for her to be silent, "Stop. It's not your fault. I need to forget everything bad that's happened and move on with my life. Besides, I've already found someone to ease my pain," he scuffed his foot along the ground and kept up with her. "My turn to ask the questions… What is your one dream?"

"Certainly not singing," her reply was serious by the way she answered. "But I would say having a family of my own. What about you?"

_I thought she'd bring that up, _"This may sound a little clichéd for me to be saying… but I've always wanted a baby girl. Not to mention, my mom keeps bugging me about it. Any time I go somewhere she's always telling me to bring back a lady. Right before I left for my vacation that's exactly what she told me."

"That's wonderful, always having your mother on your case."

"Not all of the time, but I think this time she'll finally be satisfied," a sly smile peeked out from the corners of his mouth, his aqua eyes glinting in the sunlight.

Upon seeing the gleam in his eyes, Kate edged closer to him, wanting to know what he was thinking. _He's being very mysterious about something. I wonder what? _"Why do you say that, Gabriel?"

He turned the diamond ring over and over in his jeans pocket, gathering up to courage to pop the question. After a few more seconds he pulled it out, holding it up for her to see, "Because I finally found a reason to use this."

Kate's mouth dropped open at the sheer beauty of the ring. She couldn't believe what was happening right in front of her, "Oh, my gosh! It's beautiful, Gabriel." the moment he took her hand in his her heart started beating wildly while she gazed into his eyes. _Oh! Is he seriously going to ask the question?_

"Kate, I really don't know why I'm feeling like this, but right from the first time I looked into your eyes I knew you were the one I wanted to be my wife and the mother of my children. So, I'm asking you now, will you wear this ring as my wife?"

Without saying a word in response, Kate flung herself on top of Gabriel. The impact of her body crashing into his caused both of them to fall to the ground, Kate landing on top of him before she lightly placed her hands on his cheeks and closed her lips over his. For what seemed like an eternity they kissed each other until she pulled back and gazed into his bright blue eyes, seeing the sparkle in them, "Of course I will. I've been hoping you'd ask me, Gabriel. I know it's so soon after meeting, but I love you. I love you so much."

Gabriel managed to slip the silver ring on her finger between her kisses, "The other half of the wedding ring you'll get once we get to Jefferson. It's part of my family's history and is very special to me. The diamond band goes above it," After explaining, he pushed himself up so that he was sitting beside Kate with his arm around her waist.

"When will the wedding be?" She tried to hold back her excitement.

"Hopefully as soon as possible, and I don't want a giant wedding, either. Just say the vows, put the rings on, kiss, and we're good."

"So you're saying you want to get married before you, excuse me, _we, _go to Jefferson?"

"Yes."

"Fine by me."

The old clock on the mantelpiece kept up a steady ticking, the only sound in the otherwise silent room. The two lovers relaxed on the loveseat in front of the fireplace. Kate leaned against Gabriel's chest, listening to his heartbeat. The sound calmed her and almost made her fall asleep, but she forced herself to stay awake; she didn't want to miss one moment of being near her new fiancé. _I wonder how Mom and Dad are going to take the news?_

"If I see any sign of your dad freaking out I will be long gone," Gabriel seemed to be thinking the same thing as Kate.

She raised her head and kissed his cheek, "Don't worry. Daddy has been waiting for me to get engaged. I'm his favorite, but don't tell Mom I said that."

"What about Twila?"

Kate scoffed at her sister's name, "He's not on good terms with her at the moment. He thinks Mom pays more attention to her than me and will get her anything she wants. Daddy actually told her to buy her own car, but he helped me buy my Camaro," she tried to hide a giggle, "The other day he told her she was a spoiled brat… to her face. Needless to say, she won't be coming to our wedding. Not if I have anything to do with it."

"I can see why," he sighed, pulling her closer. "God, I'm tired. I could just pass out right here."

"Then go ahead, I've got to go feed the dog."

Around midnight, Kate's parents arrived home from work to find their daughter snuggled against Gabriel, both of them asleep. At a closer glance, Champ noticed the diamond ring on her finger and a smile came to his face. If Cheer had noticed, she hadn't said anything about it, _Good for him. He's chosen a wonderful woman to be his wife. Not to mention, I really like him and his personality, so I know he'll treat her well. _So as not to disturb them, he led Cheer upstairs after turning off the lamp by the couch.

Kate awoke the next morning to find her mother cleaning the house with baby Roxanne lying on her blanket in the middle of the living room floor. Her mother seemed to be in a happy mood about something considering she was humming, and flashed Kate a bright smile.

"Good morning, honey. I hope you slept well."

Kate yawned and stretched her arm out to the side before getting up from the couch, "Yeah," looking around, she didn't see Gabriel at all, "Where's Gabriel?"

"Ah. Your soon-to-be husband is outside helping your father train Butterfly. From the look of it, the filly's winning," Cheer winked at Kate and went back to dusting off the family photo.

Kate didn't even want to think how her mother had found out about the engagement, and picked Roxanne up before walking out to the training pen in the warm sunshine. She watched the two men lasso the filly and place a saddle blanket on her back. Then, she saw Gabriel lean over and whisper something in the horse's ear, causing her to become still.

"Hey! Why don't you take a break?" Kate called from the other side of the fence. She held her baby sister on her hip while bouncing her to keep her entertained.

Gabriel looked up after hearing the familiar voice, excited to see Kate standing nearby, "Well, good morning. I figured you'd still be asleep," he chuckled warmly and hugged her. "You were snoring pretty well when I got up."

"I guess I was tired. So, did you sleep well?"

"For once," Gabriel reached over and tickled Roxanne's feet, smiling when she giggled. "Your sister's so adorable. May I hold her?"

"Sure you can!" Champ had overheard their conversation and walked over to join in. He slapped his hand down on Gabriel's shoulder before continuing. "Besides, it's great practice for when you have children of your own in the near future.

"Daddy!" Kate hissed.

Gabriel saved some embarrassment by breaking in, "Don't worry, Kate. He knows about the engagement… and he couldn't be happier."

Kate had to see her father's expression to be sure he was telling the truth. Once she received the nod of approval the only thing left to do was show him the ring, "See? Gabriel really knows how to please a girl, but it could be a rock and baling wire and I'd still love it. He said it's been in his family for a long time, so that makes it all the more special."

After inspecting the ring, Champ said, "It's very beautiful…and congratulations on the engagement. I'm so happy for the both of you," he reached over the fence and gave his daughter a hug without hurting the baby clinging to her sister's side. In all reality, he was overjoyed that his precious girl was finally marrying the man she loved even though they had only met just recently. He had always believed in love at first sight, and apparently it was true with Kate and Gabriel.

Kate beamed with joy with Gabriel inching closer, but trying not to make it too obvious; he wanted Champ to know that he intended to marry his daughter, and marry her he would without anyone stopping him, "Champ, Kate and I were hoping you could help us…" He glanced out of the corner of his eye at Kate in order to see her expression, "We would like to get married as soon as possible. Do you think that would be alright?"

The smile her father gave widened, "Of course. How about this weekend, because I'm sure you'd like to get back home to see your parents… and show Kate off."

"I have a feeling Mom's going to have fits when she meets her. She's been waiting a very long time for me to get married since I'm her only son and the only way our last name can be passed on. So, hopefully Kate and I will have a son when we do decide to have children."

"Makes sense," Champ sucked in a breath of air before continuing. "Well, I guess we better start shopping for the wedding."

It was Kate's turn to speak if she wanted to keep things the way she wanted it, "Now, Daddy. I don't want a big wedding with the entire family present. What would make me the happiest girl in the world would be finding a place outside or something, and maybe a cheap dress… nothing fancy like Twila's."

"God, I still can't believe your mother insisted on spending that much for her wedding, but I wouldn't mind doing that for you,"

"No, Daddy. I just want a simple wedding, and I'm sure Gabriel would agree."

Her fiancé nodded in agreement, "Yes that would be great."

"Fine. Whatever you wish."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 **

On the day of the wedding Kate stepped out of house to meet her father at the bottom of the porch steps. She wore a short lavender-colored dress that she had worn to her sister's wedding. At least this time it would be worn to an occasion she was excited about.

As her father walked her down the petal strewn aisle, her heart started to pound erratically when she saw Gabriel standing by the stream, waiting on her to join him, _Only a few more moments until we'll be husband and wife. _

_This is the right choice, and I'm sure of it. God, I love her so much. Please let me keep her for the rest of our lives. I'm sure Mom and Dad will love her, too, _Gabriel thought and smiled widely as Kate stepped up beside him, her face glowing with pure excitement. He knew exactly how she felt since he felt the same way, "Are you ready for a life makeover?"

"Yes. I can't believe this is really happening and that we're going to be married," her voice almost cracked under the happy circumstances.

The whole process passed quickly before it was time to exchange rings. Like Gabriel had mentioned before, the plain silver band that went on before the diamond engagement ring was only temporary until they got to Jefferson and he presented her with the real wedding band that had been in his family for many years. Even though he wanted Kate to wear it, the thought of an earlier time during his life crept into his mind, a time when another woman he had loved dearly had worn the very same ring, _Susan, I had hoped, you'd wear it a lot longer than you had, but I know you wouldn't mind if Kate wore it._

Before he realized what had happened, he and Kate had been declared husband and wife. When he looked at Kate she was waiting on him to proceed, and he leaned over and gently pressed his lips to hers. He could feel her tremble slightly and pulled her closer to his body to make the kiss last longer. Afterwards, he whispered in her ear, "I love you, Kate, and I always will."

"I love you, too," with a quick glance down at her hand she knew he was her husband and would be with her for the rest of her life.

A couple hours later, all of them, including Sean, were at the airport waiting on their plane to depart. Kate had changed back to jeans and a t-shirt before leaving for the airport with her suitcase full of clothes and mementos. She was hugging her parents, preparing herself to leave her family, while at the same time Gabriel and Sean decided to give them the moment alone to say goodbye. He could only imagine what it must be like to leave her family behind when she had lived with them for so long. _I'll have to do whatever I can to make her feel comfortable when we get home. She's so precious to me and I want her to feel safe in Jefferson. _While waiting on Kate, Gabriel whispered in Sean's ear, "Thanks for being here with us, Sean. You've stuck by us the whole time, and I'm sure Kate appreciates it as well."

"No problem. I'm glad to be here with you," Sean replied.

Eventually, the time to board the plane came faster than they were expecting. With a final hug, Kate took hold of Gabriel's hand as they made their way down the jet bridge with Sean right behind them. They found their seats in the coach section of the plane and Kate sat down next to the window with Gabriel and Sean in the seats next to her. After getting settled, she closed her eyes in order to escape the heartache of leaving her family, but she was convinced that she was on the right path; a new beginning was on the horizon now that she had something to live for. _There's no turning back. I'm never going back to that life. Gabriel's my life now._

Kate noticed an orange and pink glow peaking through Gabriel's truck windows when she opened her eyes early the next morning. At the sight of her surroundings she had no idea where she was until Gabriel's touch on her leg made her come to and listen to what he was saying, "We're here, Kate. This is my home… our home," the sound of his voice made her gather up the courage to meet his parents for the first time. Her legs were stiff from sitting for so long and she almost toppled over as she got out of the truck, but Gabriel was there to support her.

"Don't be nervous. My parents don't bite," he joked as he picked up his suitcase, as well as hers. There was no doubt in his mind that his parents would love Kate as much as he did. He could feel Kate clinging onto him the entire time as they walked up the porch steps. The porch ran from one side of the house to the other, allowing a nice breeze to pass by. Off to the right side of them hung a porch swing which had been there ever since Gabriel could remember. "Well, here we go."

Charlie, the Golden Retriever, was the first to greet the two of them as soon as they were in the living room. His tail thumped on the floor as he waited for Gabriel to pet him after being away for so long. Once he had, he scampered off to another part of the house. The next person they heard was Gabriel's mother, who must have been preparing breakfast in the kitchen.

"Is that my sweet Gabriel?" She appeared a few seconds later with an embroidered apron wrapped around her waist. The minute she saw her son standing by the couch her face lit up, and she grabbed him up in a tight, almost suffocating, hug. With a glance over to his right she caught sight of Kate standing slightly behind him as if she was trying to hide. "Well, well, well… Who's this, Gabriel? She's certainly beautiful."

A huge grin on his face, Gabriel pulled Kate up beside him, "Mom, I'd like you to meet Kate, my wife.

Mae Dawson stared at her son for a long time, trying to comprehend what he had said, and then she looked over at Kate and back again, "Wife? You were only gone for two weeks, and I was just joking when I told you to bring back a lady. I didn't think you actually would."

"Then, are you not happy about us getting married?"

"No! That's not it at all. I'm very happy for you two, you just shocked me," she flashed a warm smile over to Kate, who was trying to look at one of the photos hanging on the wall. "My apologies, Kate. I'm Mae, Gabriel's mother… And I'm so happy to meet you. I'll bet any amount of money you're the reason my Gabriel didn't come home when we expected him to."

All Kate could do was nod as her cheeks turned red from embarrassment. She knew what Mae had said was true and was proud to admit it, "Yes, but I still don't understand why he stayed. Most people just think I'm a spoiled brat like my sister, but I'm really not."

"That's why I married you, Kate," Gabriel put in. All of a sudden his stomach growled, alerting him that he was ready for breakfast.

Mae laughed while heading for the kitchen, "Well, put your bags down and come get some breakfast. Hopefully your father will join us soon."

"Speaking of Dad, where is he?"

"He went into town to get something; I'm not sure as to what."

They had already begun eating by the time Gabriel's father arrived home from town. Kate started to fidget in her seat from nervousness at the thought of meeting his father. She had no idea how he would react when he saw her sitting at his kitchen table with Mae and Gabriel. The two beside her tried their best to comfort her.

"Don't worry, dear. Rob will love you," Mae's voice sounded convincing by the way she talked to her and gently patted her hand.

Rob walked into the kitchen, a smile on his face and a large sack of dog food held in his right arm. After dropping the sack by the back door he stopped and stared at the young woman who sat beside Gabriel. That's when the curiosity was aroused inside him, "Now, who's this?"

Silence filled the room with all four bodies unmoving. Gabriel eventually stood up, pulling Kate up with him. There was no need for secrets now that all of them were together, and his father appeared rather amused by the way he looked the young woman over as if he were inspecting her for good quality, "Dad, this is Kate. We just got married yesterday"

"Married? Wow, I thought you just went up to Washington to hike, but apparently you decided to get hitched while you were there, and all in two weeks' time. So, I guess the next question is when is the baby due?" Rob had an air of joking in his voice when he spoke, and after a short time he sat down to eat breakfast with the three of them.

"Dad! We haven't even-," Gabriel stared incredulously after hearing what his father had implied. Why did he automatically have to assume they would be having a child right off the bat? _After Kate feels at home here and has time to get herself acquainted with some of the people in town, then we'll talk about children. I really think she'll like it here in Jefferson. Here after breakfast I'll see if she wants to go with me into town. _He became aware of the others watching him, and he straightened up, "Uh, Kate… would you like to go with me into town? It would be a great time for you to meet people."

Kate's pale blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight which cascaded through the window, making her appear luminescent in a sense. She thought that seeing Jefferson on a beautiful day like today was an absolutely splendid idea, "That sounds wonderful, Gabriel. I'd love to."

"Great! Then we'll go here after breakfast," he turned his attention over to the purple bear, who was putting the dirty dishes in the sink. "Mom, what's the weather supposed to be like this afternoon?"

Mae turned around from the sink, wiping her hands on the dishcloth, "In the high eighties. I'd recommend shorts and t-shirts unless you want to start sweating like pigs."

"Alright. You heard her, Kate," he pushed back from the table before heading to his bedroom. "I'd change into capris and a tank or something."

As soon as he was out of earshot Mae leaned over toward Kate and said, "Nah, he just wants to see you in something that will show off your legs," she chuckled along with her daughter-in-law. "Anyway, may I join you two? It'd be nice to finally get out of the house."

"Sure! I don't mind, and I'd like to learn more about you," Kate's reply was upbeat and chipper; she had instantly become attached to her husband's mother over the past few minutes. _She's amazing! I'm actually starting to like her more than my own mom._

"Okay, I already know where I'm taking you once we get in the town, and believe me, you'll thank me later."

Gabriel, Kate and Mae strolled down the long sidewalks bordered by the old buildings resembling those of a New Orleans set back in the 1800's, with their wrought iron balconies overlooking the bricked streets. The warm weather had brought many people out of their homes; even sightseers could be found snapping pictures of the different colored buildings and Victorian-style homes. Kate understood why Gabriel and his parents loved living in Jefferson; it was so beautiful. When she looked over to the right side of the street, a gray and black building with a large star on the front façade caught her eye. A nudge against her arm made her look over at Gabriel, who looked like he wanted to tell her something.

"That's the Jefferson Hotel. Supposedly, every room in there is haunted, but I don't know how true that is. There's been reports of several experiences, like in one of the rooms you can hear the sink faucet handles turning on by themselves," he elaborated every part to make it sound more dramatic. "And across the street is the Excelsior Hotel, which is also haunted…, by the Perfume Lady. I'll tell you what, if you think a ghost wearing too much perfume is scary, then you need to go to The Grove around midnight. I guarantee you'll pee your pants within three minutes."

"Where is The Grove? Is it a cemetery?" Kate became curious by what he was telling her and wanted to hear more.

"No, it's a house that was built back in 1861. It's just back that way a few blocks," he jabbed his thumb back behind him to indicate the direction he was meaning.

"Then, what makes it so scary? It sounds like an ordinary old house to me."

Gabriel found her comment to be somewhat humorous, and laughed, "Believe me, that is no ordinary house. Very creepy things have happened there," he realized Kate didn't quite understand what he was saying, and continued. "There's been personal accounts of entities roaming around the property, and don't even get me started on the inside of the house."

"What kind of entities?" By now Kate was being sucked into the conversation, waiting for Gabriel to continue.

"Well, some have claimed to have seen a young woman dressed in white strolling through the flower gardens, and others have said there's a man who can be seen on the side of the house by the kitchen," he reached over and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "You know what? I'm going to have to take you on a ghost walk one of these nights. We'll go all over the town and I'll tell you all about each of the places we go to. What do you say?"

"Sounds romantic… in a weird, spooky kind of way," she paused, debating on whether she wanted to ask the next question that came to mind. "Have you ever seen a ghost?"

As soon as the question was asked Gabriel froze to the spot, unmoving for several seconds; another one of those questions that was perhaps the wrong thing to ask him. So he wouldn't seem rude, Gabriel forced himself to answer, "Yes… I have."

"Was it scary? Did it make your skin crawl?"

"No, because I knew the person… Listen, I'd rather not talk about it right now."

The sun was high in the sky when Mae decided to take Kate with her to one of the small stores in the middle of the small town. On the other hand, Gabriel was not about to go with them into a woman's store, so he figured that he could spend some time in the General Store while the two ladies enjoyed shopping on their own. It was also a perfect time for his mother and Kate to bond.

"I'm going to leave you two women to do some shopping," he leaned over and kissed his wife sweetly on the lips. "I'll see you in a little while, honey," the word felt strange leaving his mouth, but it was something he would get used to since he was married to her now.

"Okay, where are you-," before she could finish, Mae dragged her off down the street to the seamstress's shop. She had no idea why they were going there, but Gabriel must have had something to do with it. "What are we doing here, Mae?"

"Since you're married to Gabriel now, you'll be going to plenty of reenactments and balls, so you'll need some dresses and underpinnings," Mae pulled open the seamstress's door, pulling Kate in after her. She stopped at the front desk to talk with an older woman who appeared to have been sewing for many years. "Beth, this is my new daughter-in-law, Kate. We need to get her some day dresses, ball gowns and underpinnings made so she can join us at the reenactments."

Beth looked at Kate's body frame in order to start figuring out what size she would need to make the garments. After a while, she whipped out her tape measure and wrapped it around the young woman's waist. The entire time Kate stayed still so Beth could get correct measurements.

"What color would you like one of your ball gowns to be, dear?" The seamstress asked as she wrote down Kate's measurements on a piece of paper.

The question made Kate think about her answer, and then she came up with one, "I like lavender, but the other dresses you can make whatever color you think will look best on me."

"That, I can do."

Mae was the one to speak next, "When do you think they'll be ready?"

"All of them should be ready in two weeks."

About an hour later, Kate and Mae found Gabriel sitting outside of a small restaurant, sipping on a lemonade while reading a book. He never even heard the two walk up, but glanced at Kate, who sat down across from him and pulled the lemonade over to her in a way to tease him. After sucking down a large mouthful of the sour liquid, she saw him watching her contentedly.

"I suppose you think jacking my lemonade is amusing to you, huh?"

"No, I knew you wouldn't mind," she leaned over to gaze into his aqua eyes, her lips quivering. Something silver caught her attention, and she noticed his necklace hanging from around his neck. "This is such a beautiful place, Gabriel. I love it already."

"I'm glad, Kate. I had hoped you would," he leaned back in his chair with his arms folded over his chest. "So, do you feel like going on a ghost walk, tonight?"

She stared at him, trying to keep herself from appearing nervous at the thought of him actually taking her to see ghosts, "Uh, okay… but how are we going to do that when this is such a small town?"

"This is one of the most haunted towns in Texas. Just on this block alone there are about three haunted buildings."

"That's… nice."

Gabriel watched her expression closely. _This is going to be fun, tonight, _"You're not scared, are you?"

All of a sudden, Mae whacked him in the back of the head with her purse. When he realized that his mother had done it, he turned around in the chair to see her scowling, "Quit it, Gabriel! Don't scare her! I'd hate for her to get so scared that she won't want to come back into town again."

"Mom, you know I won't let anything happen to her," Gabriel pulled Kate against his side and kissed her cheek. "This will be for fun."

Mae rolled her eyes in an exasperated way before seeing a woman walking on the opposite side of the street, heading for the General Store, and she took off after noticing the woman was one of her friends. Kate and Gabriel laughed at the scene, then Gabriel pulled her up from the wrought iron seat, handing her a small bag of assorted candy. He pulled out a bag of old fashioned candy and popped a few of the hard pieces into his mouth.

"Let's see… I think we'll start at the old hotel over by the river."

Kate glanced his direction, looking rather confused by his comment, "What?"

"I'm talking about the ghost walk, tonight. We'll start at the hotel over by the river and work our way through town," a sly smile crept across his face as he pulled out a silver key from his pocket. "And we can actually go in one of the buildings since I have the key," when he saw that she still wasn't comprehending, he continued. "Sean's mom owns the coffee shop and the two of us are very close, so she gave me a key in case I ever needed to get in for something."

"Yeah, nothing like a midnight coffee run," Kate joked and poked him in the side, making him shy away from her touch.

Gabriel sighed heavily as they made their way down the street in the direction of the pink-colored building known as the Jefferson Institute. As they got closer, they noticed a white flyer decorated in the Confederate and Union flags hanging on one of the doors. It explained that the Civil War ball that was coming up in two weeks would be held inside the building at seven o' clock in the evening.

_Oh, my dresses will be finished by then. I wonder if Gabriel's going? _Kate thought when she read the flyer, "Are you going to the ball, Gabriel?"

"Of course. I always go to the balls. They're after the reenactments, on Saturdays. That means I'll have to get ready pretty quickly since I'm in the battles and will probably end up smelling like gunpowder and sweaty horse."

"Makes sense," her gaze shifted downward to the concrete while she thought about what the reenactment and ball would be like. _I can't wait for Gabriel to see me in my dresses. His jaw will probably drop all of the way to the floor, _she giggled at the thought.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The night air was warm for the end of April. Gabriel quietly tiptoed out of the dark house so he wouldn't wake anyone, and ran to the large wooden shed near the pasture gate where he kept Bo's tack. After tying the bay horse to the fence railing he proceeded to saddle and bridle him; instead of taking his truck into town he decided to use a quieter form of transportation when he and Kate went on their ghost walk through the semi-dark streets of Jefferson.

Back inside his room, Kate pulled on her jeans and jogging shoes before pulling on a light sweater in case the weather changed while they were out. She was just walking out of the screen door when Gabriel showed up with Bo right behind him.

"Are you ready to go?" He whispered.

Kate took the steps two at a time, stopping on the left side of Bo, "You bet. Let's go ghost hunting!" She allowed Gabriel to help her up into the saddle even though she had been riding for years.

Once in town, Gabriel tied Bo up to the wrought iron fencing outside of the Jefferson Museum and motioned for Kate to follow him. While walking down the street, she saw an old two-story building ahead of them. At a closer look she could see a mural painted on the side of it. Several seconds later she figured out that that was their first stop on the walk. Both of them stood in front of the building, staring at the dark windows with different colored lamps and curtains framing them. Up above the windows, a balcony ran the length of the building, stopping at the right side where a spiral staircase dropped down to the tiny flower garden below.

"This is one of the old hotels that was eventually turned into a bed and breakfast. As far as I know, it's a private residence, now. It used to be several stories taller…" Gabriel pointed up to the roof to show her a part where the remains of another story still stood. "A long time ago there was a fire that burned down the top stories, leaving these two."

"Where do the ghosts come in?" Kate questioned while keeping her eyes on the balcony.

"Well, people have reported seeing several different ghosts. Some say they've seen a lady inside the house, standing on the bottom step of the staircase. Then, others have claimed to have seen a man dressed in a Civil War officer's uniform. They say you can clearly see the brass buttons on the uniform. Another entity some have seen is a young boy walking his dog out here in the street," when Gabriel looked over at Kate he found her staring up at the building like she was watching something invisible to him. "There's also a female ghost that's been seen walking along that balcony. Now, look over there," he turned her around to face the dark tree line perpendicular to the hotel. "Right behind those trees is the Big Cypress Bayou, or the Big Cypress River. The paddleboats used to travel that, and you can still take tours on them during the day. During the Civil War era there were some gallows down there. Over the years people have thought that there's a secret escape tunnel the slaves used to get to the river without getting caught; if they were caught, they'd face those gallows. A few years ago when they were remodeling the hotel, they dug through the floor in the basement and found the tunnel."

Kate seemed impressed by how much her husband knew about the history of the town, but froze stiff when she heard a noise off to the left, "Did you hear that, Gabriel? It sounded like a dog."

"That's just the owner's dog," he started laughing at her frightened state. "This is just the first stop, and you're already spazzing out."

"I'm not scared. The noise just startled me," Kate objected defiantly.

"Right… Come on," Gabriel led the way back around the corner and stopped in front of a tall, rectangular building with a row of windows near the top of it. In the very center of the front wall were dark, wooden double doors, shut to keep out unwanted visitors… or to keep in its unrestful inhabitants. Just the outside appearance was enough to give someone the chills. "Welcome to the Jefferson Saloon, home to one or two known spirits. On a ghost tour a few months ago an older woman said she saw a young woman looking out of that far right window; supposedly one of the prostitutes who used to work here when the saloon was still open for business. Well, among the group was another woman who claimed to be a medium and could see spirits and communicate with them. That crazy lady scared those poor people half to death when she said the spirit wasn't up in the window watching them, but was in fact right behind the woman who had first noticed her."

A cold chill ran right down Kate's spine. If that had really happened, then she didn't want to stick around to see it happen a second time, "Okay, so where's the next stop?"

A smile appeared on his face as Gabriel pulled her along down the street. He could feel her tremble in his grasp and wondered if the walk was truly frightening her, or if the weather had turned cooler. Eventually, they came to a tall bricked building with a bright light streaming through the glass door on the upper level.

"Where are we, Gabriel?" Kate's voice faltered slightly when she spoke.

"This is the backside of the Jefferson Hotel. Do you see that room closest to us?"

"Yeah."

"That's one of the most haunted rooms in the hotel. Some very strange things have happened in that room. Remember me telling you about the faucet handles? Well, right there in that room. If you go inside the hotel during the day you'd never know what goes on in that place after dark," Gabriel pulled her next to him to get her out of the way of the police car that flew past them and turned onto another street. "I guess I should have mentioned the jail's right next to the hotel."

Kate stared at him, an eyebrow raised, "Yeah, I'd really love to stay in a hotel full of ghosts with a nuthouse less than thirty feet away," she chided sarcastically before taking a few steps toward the corner of the building. She turned around to see if Gabriel was following and was shocked to find the spot where he had been empty.

"Are you coming?" Gabriel whispered in her ear and cracked up laughing at the effect of the surprise. He quickly caught her after she lost her balance and stood her back up.

"God, don't do that, Gabriel," she barked, her eyes blazing. "That's just wonderful. You made me dribble on myself."

Gabriel continued to laugh until it became too much for him and he had to wipe the tears from his eyes, "I'm sorry, honey, but I couldn't resist."

"If you're done acting like a jerk, where to next?"

"The Big Cypress Coffee Shop," without another word, he scooped her up into his arms so she could rest her legs and proceeded to walk across the quiet street toward the coffee shop. After setting her down, he dug around in his jeans pocket for the key and unlocked the door.

Kate looked inside skeptically, unsure if she wanted to go in even though Gabriel was with her. _I don't like the looks of this place, _"We're not going in there, are we?"

"Why, you scared?" He taunted.

"No!"

"Then, come on. I'm not going to let anything happen to you… and I won't do anything to scare you, like hide behind the counter or sneak up behind you, again."

"You better not."

Both of them stepped into the large room, only Kate was hesitant at first. The entire room was dark except for the candles burning in the window. Kate curiously walked around, looking at the assortment of pictures on the wall while Gabriel lit a candle for them to use. In the very back of the high-ceilinged room was a staircase leading up to the second level. A chilling sensation overwhelmed her at the sight of the pitch black hallway at the top of the stairs. For some odd reason she felt like she was being watched, but Gabriel was all the way on the other side of the room with his back turned to her. Whatever it was, she didn't feel comfortable about it.

All the while his wife was standing at the foot of the stairs; Gabriel was searching around the place for something Sean had told him to look for. When he found Kate staring at the blackness of the upstairs hallway, he asked, "Kate? What are you looking at?"

"What's up there?"

He looked up the stairs to where she had mentioned and frowned, "I believe there's another room up there, but I'm not entirely sure. There's always a way to find out," and with that, he started up the stairs with Kate a few seconds behind him. She took each step cautiously, listening to the creaks and groans they made at the slightest weight. She hoped the old stairs wouldn't give way, causing the two of them to fall from a height of close to nine feet.

The hallway loomed ahead of them, giving off a foreboding feeling that ran all the way through them. If anything was up there in the darkness, there wasn't a chance of seeing it, for they stood in complete and utter darkness. It also didn't help that Gabriel had left the candle downstairs.

He tried to focus his eyes in hopes of seeing anything and saw a closed door at the other end of the hallway, "Ah! There's the room. Let's go check it out."

About halfway down the hallway, Kate stopped with that same sensation of being watched as she had earlier. She slowly turned her head, but of course, didn't see anything.

"What's wrong, Kate?" Gabriel had turned around when he realized she had stopped moving.

"Do you have the feeling that we're being watched?" She sounded worried and somewhat frightened.

He hurried over to her and wrapped her up in his arms, "Hey, nothing is going to hurt you in here. You're just spooked," he gently kissed the top of her head before heading back down the hall.

Once Kate was a little relieved she followed him, but stopped again near the door Gabriel had gone through. Now there was no doubt something strange was happening; a sudden cold burst of air soaked through her body causing the hair on her arms to raise and her body to shiver. As soon as the cold had entered her body it vanished, leaving her shaking. The strange phenomenon left her frightened and ready to get out of the coffee shop, or at least leave the upstairs, "Gabriel, can we go back downstairs, now? Please? I don't like it up here."

The form of her husband appeared from the doorway with a worried look on his face, "Are you okay?"

"I just want to go downstairs. This hallway is making me uncomfortable."

"Alright," he led the way down the creaky stairs, Kate practically clinging to him the entire time.

The light from the candle sitting on one of the wooden tables provided refuge for the two of them. Kate finally relaxed enough to examine some of the old sepia-toned photos hanging on the wall nearest the counter. It wasn't long before Gabriel walked up beside her.

She was reading a caption beneath one of the photos when all of a sudden her head was jerked back painfully, "Ow, Gabriel! Quit pulling my hair!"

"I didn't do that. My hands are right here. See?" He held up both of his hands to show her he was telling the truth.

"Then what-."

Right as she started to say something Gabriel flashed the candle her direction to illuminate the area. His face turned to one of real fright, his features washed of all of their color; Kate's hair was standing straight out on its own as if someone was examining it, but the space behind her was void of any being. That could only mean one thing…

"Oh, shit! Run!"

Kate didn't have to be told twice, she was bolting for the front door with Gabriel right behind her and quickly pulling out the key. She didn't waste any time getting the door open and was out in the street before he was even to the door. A street lamp provided Kate something to lean against while Gabriel slammed the door shut and locked it, then made his way over to his terrified wife.

"Are you all right, honey?" He questioned.

She had a time of catching her breath after what had just happened, "No way in Hell am I going back in there, at least not in the dark," she flashed a glare his direction. "I thought you said The Grove was scarier."

"I honestly didn't expect that to happen," he waited for Kate to regain her composure before pulling her along down the street. After that terrifying experience he wasn't sure if she'd be willing to see another haunted place. "Do you want to see another building, or not?"

"I think I'm ready to go back home. Can we please go?" Kate was still shaking uncontrollably, making him hold her close to his comforting body.

"Yes, we can go. I don't want to scare you too badly, but I don't know if that would be possible after what just happened."

The warm bed was welcoming compared to the incident at the coffee shop. While Kate rested under the heavy blanket, Gabriel was locking up the house for the night and showed up a few minutes later with a warm smile shining from the corners of his mouth. He quickly pulled on his night pants and removed his shirt before crawling into bed beside Kate. Since it was their first night of officially being together in the same house, he felt a little nervous. He wasn't sure how Kate would react to being that close to him, but he got his answer when he felt her wrap her arms around his waist and snuggled up close to him for the warmth.

"I love you, Gabriel," she whispered in the dark.

After planting a kiss on her lips, he also whispered, "I love you, too. Don't you ever forget that."

"I won't," she became quiet, then thought of something else. "So, when are we going to have children?"

The question startled Gabriel, "Isn't it a little early to be thinking about children? I mean, we've only been married for a day. Let's wait until we feel more comfortable around each other before-."

"But I do feel comfortable around you. I have ever since we first met. Besides, I thought you wanted a daughter?"

"I do, but I'm not going to put you through any stress for awhile. I want to gain your trust before we even consider children," all of a sudden, he saw something out of the corner of his eye. At a closer glance he recognized the object and smiled._ Susan. _"Kate, look over there in the corner. Do you see that bluish-white image?"

Kate sat up, her eyes wide at the sight of the mass over in the corner, "What is that?"

"Come here. I want you to meet her," he took hold of her hand and slowly pulled her to the center of the room where he motioned toward the image. "It's okay, Susan. Kate won't hurt you."

"Susan? Oh, no… no more ghosts, Gabriel," Kate kept an eye on the spirit while questioning her husband. "Who is she?"

Gabriel sighed heavily. _I have to tell her, _"Kate, I haven't told you the truth, and I hope you'll forgive me after this. When I was eighteen I met Susan and we ended up getting married. A few months later she told me that she was pregnant with my child, and I was so happy. When the baby was large enough, we went and found out that it was a girl…"

A smile spread across Kate's face upon hearing the news, "How wonderful," the smile quickly fell. "What happened?"

"During the birth, complications arose. Susan was having problems, and she eventually lost too much blood… Yes, apparently that is possible," he had to choke back the tears stinging his eyes. "I wasn't in the room when she died; I couldn't handle seeing her so weak. As for the baby, she was stillborn. When I found out my life ended right there; I was filled with a murderous rage. I thought, how could God let this happen when everything was so perfect? That night I lost my wife and my baby girl."

The loss of a loved one was hard to bear, but the loss of two? Kate could only imagine what he must have felt after losing his wife and child, "I'm so sorry. God, that must have been torture. So, this is her? This is Susan?" She turned her attention over to the female spirit hovering a few inches off the floor. When she looked closer, she noticed that she wore a flowing dress that hung off her slim frame. The spirit had a warm, friendly smile peeking out from behind her teeth.

"Yes, this is Susan. Here, come closer… She'd love to meet you," he turned to introduce the two. "Susan, this is my wife, Kate. And Kate, this is Susan."

"It's very nice to meet you, Kate," Susan spoke in a surprisingly rich alto tone. It had a tinge of warmth hidden behind the ridges, but was welcoming. "I hope we'll become good friends… and I hope I don't scare you too much. I'm always wandering around the house and tend to pop up unexpectedly."

"Why hasn't she left, Gabriel? Why hasn't she crossed over?"

He sucked in some air and thought about how he'd answer her, "Well, from what she's told me, she feels as if it's her job to watch over and protect me. Her job isn't done, yet. It's like she's bound to me."

"Oh. I understand. She can't leave until her job is fulfilled."

"Yes."

Kate turned back to Susan and replied, "I know we'll be good friends. I can sense the good in your soul."

Gabriel quietly slipped out of the room unbeknownst to the two in order to give them time to get acquainted with each other. It would be best for them to feel comfortable around each other since they'd be in the same house. He'd return after he went to talk with his parents.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Kate awoke around eight the next morning to find the bed empty on the left side. Gabriel must have been up for a while since his side of the bed was cool, _He's probably outside. _After dressing in a pair of jean capris and a blue t-shirt, she sauntered out into the living room where she found Mae sitting in her chair, reading a romance novel. Once she saw Kate enter the room, she put the book down and stood up.

"Good morning, dear. Did you sleep well? Gabriel told me about the incident at the coffee shop last night."

"Yes, I did sleep well. Speaking of Gabriel, where is he?" Kate asked.

"The cavalry general called a meeting to discuss the reenactment coming up," Mae stepped over to the wide living room window and opened it to let in the sweet spring breeze. "Oh, Beth called earlier. She's already got two of your dresses finished and wants us to come by so you can try them on in case she needs to make any changes."

"Geez, did the woman even sleep? Well, I'm ready to go whenever you are."

It was already noon by the time Mae and Kate arrived at the seamstress's shop. From the looks of it, most of the town's inhabitants were at the town square attending a separate meeting for the reenactment, but Beth was in her shop putting assortments of buttons, ribbons, spools of thread and other sewing essentials on the shelves.

"Hello, ladies! Beautiful afternoon to be out and about, isn't it?" Beth greeted the two cheerfully from behind a tall shelf of fabric bolts.

"Hi, Beth! I brought Kate in to try on the dresses," Mae replied.

"Great! Come on back."

Mae and Kate were led through a curtain into a sunny room on the other side of the store. The room had many fabrics laid out on the floor with lace and buttons resting on top. In the center of the room was a dress stand, and positioned perfectly over the stand was a gorgeous lavender ball gown made out of light-weight silk and trimmed in shiny black ribbon. The sheer beauty of the dress was enough to make Kate's jaw drop in awe.

"Oh, my gosh! Who's dress is that? It's amazing!" She exclaimed.

The seamstress chuckled, "That dress is your ball gown."

"No way! It's beautiful!"

"I worked on it all day and night. I also got one of your day dresses finished, as well as your underpinnings," she held up a white garment with a smile. "Now, time to try them on."

After closing the curtain hanging in the doorway, Kate completely stripped out of her clothes until she was standing in just her panties. She pulled on the long, white chemise, but stared dumbstruck at the pantalets in front of her, "Okay, which way do these go on… and why is there a giant hole where the crotch and butt should be?!"

Beth and Mae burst out laughing at Kate's comment; they knew exactly what she was meaning. They, too, had asked the same question when they had first started reenacting.

"Honey, Gabriel and I have a lot to teach you about the Civil War and its fashion," Mae commented.

"Then tell me how these crazy things go on!"

"It ties in the back, so the bigger opening goes back there," she explained before grabbing another article of clothing.

Finally, Kate managed to get the pantalets on correctly, and then Mae stepped behind her with an odd-looking object in her hand and had her daughter-in-law turn around in order for her to wrap it around her middle. She nodded for Beth to move in front of Kate and fasten the front of the undergarment.

Kate stared at the strange white thing around her, unsure what to make of it, "What is this thing?

"It's a corset. Now, suck in," Mae pulled on the corset's stays, making Kate's waist smaller. After several more tugs, she determined her waist was the right size for her to fit in the dress.

"Are you supposed to be able to breathe in this thing?" Kate gasped.

Beth and Mae spoke at the same time, "No."

"What's… next?"

Before she could say anything else, Mae dropped what looked like a huge circular device resembling a bird cage over her head until it came to rest on her hips. The size of the crinoline almost made Kate topple over. She inspected it suspiciously while the older women prepared the next layers of clothing to load her down. How many more things could she possibly wear before collapsing?

Some time later, Kate had to rest against a wall to keep herself from falling over. Already, she wanted to sit, and she didn't even have her dress on, yet, _Good, Lord, how were women able to stand all of this? Gabriel better be happy I'm doing this. _She raised her arms over her head for Beth to carefully slip the beautiful dress onto her slender body. The silky material flowed smoothly over her head and fell delicately to the floor where it rested in tiny liquid-like ripples. She was surprised by how light the dress was compared to all of the underpinnings. While Kate inspected the lavender dress, Mae set to work lacing up the black ribbon laces and fastening the shiny black buttons where the dress came together between her shoulder blades.

"Oh, my goodness! You look absolutely stunning, dear. Gabriel won't be able to keep you for long when you wear this dress to a ball," Beth exclaimed and stepped back to inspect her work. "I think there's only one more thing I need to sew on and then it will be perfect," she dug through one of her baskets and pulled out several black crystal pendants and one large teardrop-shaped pendant, "Allow me a little more time and I'll have this dress ready, as well as your others, by the time of the ball."

Mae walked around in front of Kate, "Now there's only one thing left for you to do so you'll be ready for the ball… It's time for you to learn the dances, and I believe Beth has a dress for you to borrow in order for you to learn properly."

"Who's going to teach me?" She questioned.

"Only the best."

Kate stood in front of Sean a few minutes later, staring at him while he was showing her where to place her hands. She was shy from even touching him on the shoulder let alone moving any closer to him.

"Kate, you need to be closer to me for this to work right," he reached around her, placing his hand on the small of her back and taking her other hand in his free hand. "There's no need for you to be shy. I even taught Mae these dances. Now, this is a waltz. At every dance you go to there will always be waltzes… and a little info for you, the waltz is Gabriel's favorite next to the Virginia Reel."

"Okay. I'll have to remember that," she could barely breathe what with the corset squeezing her, not to mention the very short distance between her and Sean, _Gabriel would be so jealous if he could see us now. _

"So, the rule you need to remember when dancing the waltz, or any dance, is that the man always leads. We don't need the dainty woman leading with her huge skirt, not unless we want to end up in a jumbled mess. Plus, it's just proper if the man leads," he pulled her closer and prepared to start teaching the steps. "Now, for the steps. They are very easy, but you have to stay with the beat and keep a steady rhythm. It's one, two, three… one, two, three, and so on. In the middle of the dance, some of the men like to twirl the ladies. Are you following all of this?"

"I think so," Kate replied.

"Then let's try it."

Kate felt like she was literally being swept off her feet. The speed was a little too fast at first, and it was difficult for her to keep rhythm since she was trying to lead instead of Sean. He had to constantly remind her that he was the leader. _The man is always the leader. One, two, three… one, two, three, _she repeated the steps over and over in her head while concentrating on where to place her feet. A few times she accidentally stepped on his foot, but eventually she got the footwork and rhythm down. _Wow! This is actually fun now that I understand it. Won't Gabriel be surprised at the ball?_

"Good! I think you've got it now," Sean praised. "Now, how about learning the Virginia Reel?"

"Alright."

By the end of the dance session, Kate's feet were sore and she was ready to get out of the heavy clothes. The lesson had gone over well and she felt like she was ready for the ball when the time came. Hopefully she wouldn't pass out from the corset.

"Well, shall we go find Gabriel and Rob?" Mae asked after they left the seamstress's shop.

"Sure. I wonder where they are?"

"Probably eating lunch at one of the diners. Let's go find out."

Both of them found Rob and Gabriel sitting on the steps of the gazebo in the middle of Otstott Park. Gabriel's ponytail was draped over his shoulder and gently blew in the breeze. His eyes lit up when he saw his wife walking towards him with a slight swing of her hips.

"Hey, baby! Where have you and Mom been this afternoon?" He greeted warmly and pulled her onto his lap.

"We went to Beth's."

"Oh, no. Not more dresses," he joked before kissing her cheek. Are you getting excited about the reenactment?"

Kate wasn't really paying attention to what he was saying; she was watching a young woman across the square, who was playing with her baby. _I want to be a mother. Maybe I can sweet-talk Gabriel, _"Hey, can I talk with you alone, Gabriel?"

"Well, sure."

Kate and Gabriel strolled along the sidewalk down one of the streets, both remaining silent for some time while thinking of what to say. She was having a rather difficult time of deciding exactly what she would say so as not to make the discussion awkward, but if she wanted to be a mother she need to say something now.

Gabriel broke the silence when he said, "So, what did you want to talk about?"

_Okay, Kate, just come out and say it, _"Gabriel, I want a baby. I'm ready to be a mother."

He nearly stumbled into a flowering crabapple tree upon hearing her bold statement. That was definitely not something he was expecting to hear her say so soon, "Um, well, I thought we were going to wait a while?"

"We will be waiting a while... nine months. That seems long enough to me."

"We've got reenactments coming up, and that would be difficult if you're pregnant. Besides, you have to be in period clothing while staying in the camps, so that means you'll have to have special dresses made to fit you for when you expand."

"At least I won't have to wear the corset," she commented matter-of-factly.

"True, but still… do you know how stressful that would be on you, having to sleep on cots while carrying? That wouldn't be very fun."

"I don't care one bit. I've been through worse. Anyways, I'm the one who's going to be carrying the baby all that time, so I should be able to say when I'm ready."

"Alright, you've got me on that one. But I still have a say on what you can and can't do in camp," he hid a smile to show that he still had some control of the situation.

"So, does that mean we'll try for a baby?" Her voice was filled with excitement.

"I guess. You've found my soft spot."

That evening Gabriel and his parents sat in the living room with one of the antique lamps shining in the corner near the front door. Mae and Rob sat next to each other, watching their son, who seemed to be pondering something before he got up and walked over to the tall mahogany china cabinet.

"Gabriel?" Mae started to ask.

He turned around after grabbing a small box off the top shelf, "It's time I gave her the ring."

Kate found her husband sitting on the loveseat a few minutes later when she entered the room after changing into her chemise and housecoat, "What's going on?"

"Come here, honey," Gabriel motioned for her to join him.

She greatly obeyed his command and sat down right next to him with her legs curled up under her. Her curiosity got the better of her and she leaned closer as if that was the key to making him talk, "So… what did you want to tell me?"

Without saying a word, Gabriel pulled out the ring so that it gleamed brilliantly in the faint light. The silver ring immediately caught Kate's attention and she pulled his hand closer to get a better look at the design of the ring. She could see what looked like a heart in the center holding up a crown above it, but she couldn't quite tell what was on either side of the heart.

"This is the other half of your wedding ring," he explained with a smile. "It's called a claddagh, the Irish symbol of love, loyalty and friendship. It belonged to my great, great grandmother and it's been passed down through my dad's side of the family until it finally ended up with me… and now, I'm giving it to you."

Kate was utterly speechless when he took her hand and slipped the diamond ring off, including the temporary band, then slid on the claddagh, the point of the heart pointing toward her chest, "It's beautiful, Gabriel. I love it," she watched as he replaced the diamond ring so that it rested above the crown and the shank of it fit perfectly together with the shank of the claddagh.

"Gabriel, aren't you forgetting the necklace?" Rob mentioned.

"Oh, yeah!" Gabriel hopped up from the loveseat, again, and walked over to the glass case where Mae kept some of her crystal figures, and took out a silver necklace that looked like his, only smaller. After blowing off the dust that had collected on it over the past six years he fastened it around his wife's neck. "Your knot fits inside mine like a friendship necklace; when put together they form one big lovers knot. Everyone in my family wears one. Now, you're a part of my heritage."

She yawned before lying down on her side of the loveseat, catching Charlie's attention. The Golden Retriever padded over to where she lay and started licking her hand, "Hey Charlie. Am I in your spot?"

"Why don't you go to bed, Kate? I'll be in there later," Gabriel planted a kiss on her cheek.

"Alright," Kate was too tired to argue, so after hugging his parents, she disappeared into the bedroom.

It was almost midnight, and Mae and Gabriel were the only ones remaining in the living room. Neither of them seemed to notice how late it was getting, only their discussion kept them from heading off to bed, as well. The talk of children arose once more, although Gabriel was the one to bring up the subject this time. He found himself at a roadblock, and was turning to his mother for help.

"Honey, you know you've wanted a baby for a long time, and Kate would be a perfect mother," Mae commented while knitting.

"I know, Mom."

"Then why are you holding back?"

He turned his face away from her to hide the hurt in his eyes, "Because I don't want to repeat what happened last time."

Mae knew what her son was going through; she, too, had been devastated by what happened six years prior, but she wasn't going to let that stop her from believing she'd eventually get a grandbaby, "Gabriel, you shouldn't let Susan's death stop you from going after what you want. None of us knew that was going to happen to her, and you're not the only one who suffered from that loss. Can't you see that Kate wants to be a mother? She wants to give you that baby, but she can't without your help. It's time to move on."

"What if history repeats itself? I'd never be able to live with myself if it did," Gabriel slumped forward on the couch with his face buried in his hands. "Losing Susan and the baby was the hardest thing I've ever been through. I can't lose Kate, too."

"Susan would want you to move on, Gabriel. You went for so long holding all of that remorse and sorrow inside that you wouldn't even spend time with Sean. You hardly ever left the farm, and even when you did¸ you wouldn't get out of Jefferson… You pretty much gave up on life, itself. That's why your father and I were so happy when you met and married Kate, but now you've slipped back into that same state you'd been in for so long," Mae stood up from her chair and wrapped her arms around her son. "Forget everything that's happened in the past and move on with your life."

"It's easier said than done."

Mae sighed heavily, "Do what you will, but remember that Kate expects you to be there for her."

His mother's words hit him hard. It was true, he needed to move on and be there for Kate. He had always turned to his mother for advice, and this was probably the best he'd received. _I do want a baby, and I know Kate does, but I really don't want anything to happen this time. Then again, it's up to me to make my own family a reality, _he decided to end the discussion after he'd made up his mind and went to the bedroom where he found Kate curled up under the blanket.

"Gabriel? Is that you?" Her voice sounded groggy with sleep when she spoke.

He pulled back the covers before moving up next to her. The warmth of her body was welcoming to him after the stressful talk with his mother, and he was very thankful to have her near where he could reach out and touch her to know she was still there, "Yes, baby it's me," _This is the right time. Mom's right, if we're going to have children, now is the time. I love Kate too much to deny her the experience of being a mother… and I want to be a father more than anything. _His thoughts diminished when he wrapped his arm around her waist ever so tenderly and inhaled her sweet aroma of lavender and citrus.

"What are you doing?" She giggled, trying to escape his grasp. "Stop tickling me, Gabriel! Stop, stop!"

He obeyed her pleas long enough to look into her pale eyes and see the true love for him glimmering. That was one trait about her that he absolutely adored. No other time being around her did he feel more in love, "Then how about this?" Before Kate could say anything, Gabriel gently parted her lips with his, taking in the sweet scent of her breath as his lips moved with hers. After a while, the intensity of the moment grew, and as it did their bodies moved closer together, allowing them to cuddle.

As the night wore on their nervousness faded into pure bliss, and everything around them seemed to disappear. Without even caring to think first, Gabriel lightly ran his hand up the inside of her thigh, feeling her tremble underneath his touch; her acceptance of him being so near told him she was letting him do what others couldn't. At one point he stopped abruptly after realizing that he might have gone too far and he looked at Kate's face to see her expression.

"No… Don't stop," her voice came confidently, but a little hesitant as all of this was new to her. For the first time in her life she felt like she was truly loved by someone, _Oh, my gosh… Gabriel does love me more than I ever imagined. I wonder if this was how he felt when he was around Susan?_

With receiving the go-ahead, Gabriel resumed kissing her and trailed his lips along her jawbone and started kissing her neck lovingly. In turn, Kate tenderly grazed her lips up his own strong jaw and nipped the lobe of his ear. Right in the middle of kissing her cheek, he felt her lace her fingers with his and pull his other hand up to her breasts. Eventually the passion between them heightened to such a point where they couldn't stop, only to move forward. Gabriel shifted his weight on top of Kate and gently lowered himself while holding onto her side to keep from crushing her small body beneath his.

_I can't believe this is happening, _Kate gasped suddenly from the amount of pressure being put on the lower part of her body as he entered her. _And he's being so gentle. Ouch! Okay, now that kind of stung a little._

"I'm sorry, honey, I didn't mean to hurt you," he apologized as soon as he felt her wince.

"You're fine. Don't apologize for anything," she pulled his head toward hers and lightly sucked on his lips before clasping her hands on his shoulder blades and dug her nails into the skin. She could faintly hear him grunt every now and then. Over time a great feeling of pleasure started boiling somewhere inside of her, making her arch her back in response.

Toward the end of their lovemaking Kate let out a yelp of ecstasy after the amazing feeling of pleasure that had been building the entire time finally crested and coursed throughout her body in a huge wave, causing her toes to curl and her grip to tighten on Gabriel's shoulder blades. It was the most wonderful feeling she had ever experienced, and she would hold the memory of it for the rest of her life. The whole thing had left her trembling to the point of her having to struggle to catch her breath, and her heart raced for several minutes after the sensation had died away.

"I love you so much, Kate, and I always will," Gabriel was also trembling, and he had to swallow hard after speaking. His body was sticky with sweat and a bead of the salty liquid dripped off a strand of hair hanging from the side of his head. He gently pulled back from her before lying down on his own side of the bed and taking her hand and placing it on his chest. "I give you my heart."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

During breakfast the next morning, Gabriel broke the silence when he started to speakwith a large amount of biscuit stuffed into his mouth. Unfortunately, every word came out muffled. To her displeasure, Mae scowled at her son while tapping her foot on the floor.

"Gabriel, swallow! I can't understand a word you're saying," Mae scolded.

After forcing down a large lump of the biscuit he started over, "What I was saying was that I ordered another wall tent the other day and it should be here some time today, so I need it to be put over in the corner in the living room. I had to get another one after what happened last year at Shiloh."

"What happened?" Kate's curiosity arose.

"Well, on the second day a thunderstorm rolled through and some of the ropes came loose. Needless to say I found it in the Yankee camp up in a tree after it had taken out several of their tents, not that that bothered me any."

Later on in the afternoon Kate and Mae were in the kitchen baking while Rob and Gabriel had to attend another meeting for the reenactment. They had intended to go outside and plant flowers, but a spring shower had put an end to that plan. Besides, baking was a great way to bond with each other. At the moment both women had patches of flour covering them, but that was the fun of baking. Ever since she was a little girl, Kate had always enjoyed baking whether it was with her father or mother.

"So Mae, is Gabriel you're only son?" Kate asked as she greased a cookie sheet with a stick of butter.

"Yes. We didn't have any other children," Mae replied while mixing a bowl of cake batter.

"How come? Never wanted anymore?"

"No, we did…"

"You're still young; I bet you could have another baby."

The other woman chuckled warmly, "Oh honey, I'm older than you think I am. Believe me; if I could have another baby, I would in a heartbeat."

After sticking the cake in the oven, Kate started on the chocolate chip cookies. She wouldn't press Mae further on the subject of children, although she would question Gabriel about it later, because it seemed as if she was hiding something. _Maybe I should just let it go. Besides, if things work out I might have a baby soon. _Kate stirred in a bag of chocolate chips and placed mounds of the sticky dough on the greased cookie sheets. The memory of the night before came back to her in a pleasant rush; everything had been perfect, so why wouldn't there be a chance of her carrying a baby at the moment? Oh, how wonderful that would be, but Gabriel's questioning of what she would do at reenactments if she did become pregnant filled her head. She would need the special maternity dresses made, so she had better ask Beth to make some for her now instead of at the last minute when she'd be trying to button up her regular day dress.

"Mae, could we go back to Beth's, today?"

"Well sure… but what are we having made this time? You have everything you'll need."

Kate turned her eyes downward. Should she mention the reason for going back to the seamstress's? "I want to get one or two maternity dresses made."

Upon hearing her daughter-in-law mention 'maternity' her eyes widened, "Oh my heavens! Are you pregnant, Kate?"

"I… don't know. It would be way too early to tell, but I would like to get dresses made for the future if and when I am pregnant."

"Of course we'll go. Let's get the kitchen cleaned up and the cookies taken out of the oven, and then we'll head into town."

As soon as the kitchen was clean, Mae and Kate were on their way to Beth's shop. The way there was full of talk about babies and Kate being a mother. Mae was excited about the possibility of Kate being pregnant, but she would control herself for everyone's sake.

The seamstress's shop provided a warm environment compared to the rain falling outside. Beth was happy to see them since she hadn't had very many customers because of the weather.

"Hello, ladies! What brings you out in this gloomy weather?" Beth greeted from behind the front counter where she was organizing a basket of ribbons.

"We need a few maternity day dresses made for Kate," Mae explained.

"Ooh, do we have a little one on the way?" The seamstress walked over to the two with a grin on her face.

Kate was the one to reply, "I'm not sure yet, but this is for the future when I am pregnant."

"Okay, well I will certainly make you some, and all of them free of charge," she threw a wink in Kate's direction as she pulled out her measuring tape and wrapped it around her waist, leaving enough room for the growth of her belly during pregnancy. "Now, what color would you like them to be?"

"Um, whatever color you want to make them," Kate was looking at the different fabrics displayed on their bolts. "Don't I have to have a new crinoline as well?"

Beth was somewhat shocked by her question, "Oh, heavens, no! All you'll need to wear is the chemise, pantalets and dress. You won't have room for anything else."

"Oh. Well, that makes sense," Kate started chuckling at her own mistake. _The baby will be my crinoline._

After all of the measurements were taken, the three women enjoyed cups of tea while talking about the reenactment and who was expected to be there. All of the talk excited Kate, and she wished those few days would hurry up and arrive. Apparently it was one of the biggest events to happen every year, and this would be the time for Gabriel to see her in a whole new light.

"Darlin', Gabriel's going to have a heart attack when he sees you in that gorgeous dress," Beth commented.

"I have you to thank for that, Beth. I wouldn't have any dresses if it wasn't for you," Kate leaned over and hugged the older woman.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

On the evening the Dawsons were leaving to go set up camp in town for the reenactment, Gabriel had told Kate to pack the things she'd need for the weekend. Well, not everything would be packed; she would get into her ball gown at the seamstress's shop. She had all of her things in the living room for Gabriel to load into the bed of the truck and when he walked back through the front door he nearly had a stroke.

"Sweet mother of Jefferson Davis! We're only going three miles from here. I said to only bring the essentials, not the entire house!"

"These are the essentials," she replied.

Thirty minutes later they arrived at Lion's Park, the location of one of the Confederate camps. Many white canvas, "A"-framed tents were being put up by their occupants while young children ran through the maze of white while their mothers helped the men raise the tents. The camp stretched over a large, grassy square, and across the street stood an old two-story mansion. The appearance of the house gave Kate an eerie feeling in the pit of her stomach. Hopefully Gabriel would decide to set the tent up in the middle of the camp or on the other side of the park, away from the mansion.

"That's the Schluter Mansion," Gabriel mentioned after seeing her staring at the old house. "Just another stop on the ghost tour."

Kate grabbed one of her bags before heading to the row of tents in the middle of the camp, "Well, that's just fine and dandy, but I'd prefer we set up over here in the middle."

"We have to put our tent up over there by that tree. That's Officer's Row and also where the 1st Texas Cavalry is camped. We're gonna be right at the very front where I can keep an eye on those drunk hillbillies. I can't afford to have them pulling any shenanigans at this event. This is just one of the perks of being the Colonel," he passed Kate with a wooden box which held the large wall tent and it's metal stakes. "Kate, see if you can find Sean, and tell him to get the poles out of the truck. I'm sure he's already got his tent up."

Gabriel was laying out the canvas tent and fly by the time Sean and Kate showed up with the different sized wooden poles. Behind them, Logan, one of Sean's friends from the infantry carried the ropes for the poles. In a matter of five minutes the tent and fly were standing near the tree with an authentic lantern hanging on a wrought iron hook outside of the fly, a candle shining brightly in the purple light of dusk. On their right, a few tents down, stood Rob and Mae's wall tent. Across from theirs was Sean's tent with the 1st Texas Cavalry's colors standing proudly in the night.

"Is this all cavalry, Gabriel?" Kate asked curiously as she walked down the lane made by the tent fronts.

"Some of it is, but for the most part it's infantry and civilians. Our cavalry and a couple other divisions like to camp here," he explained while tying back the flaps of the tent.

"Then, where are the Yankees?"

"They're spread throughout the town, but all of their cavalry is camped on the battlefield," he cleared his throat and continued. "Actually, it's not a real battlefield. The reenactment of Port Jefferson is a 'what-if' scenario; there wasn't a battle here, but there were battles in Texas during the Civil War."

Kate found herself becoming more and more educated about one of the biggest wars in American history. She actually enjoyed learning about these things, even the ones not concerning the cavalry. Perhaps Gabriel knew something about the female side of the war and what went on with their lives. Well, they'd have plenty of time to talk about that while they were at the reenactment.

"Okay honey, time for a little lesson in camp setup," he caught her attention and pointed toward the row of tents facing each others. "Do you see how the fronts of our tents form a path through here? That's called a street. Every division in both armies are set up that way. Now, in the morning we usually have a short meeting to discuss what's going to happen during that day's battle. Are you following me?"

"Yes. So, what time will we need to get up in the morning?"

"Bugle call is at six, but I'll let you sleep in since you don't need to be up until an hour before the suttlery opens, because I believe you were going to help Mom out in her tent selling crocheted blankets, shawls and some of the quilts she's made. Which reminds me… do you know how to make things that can be sold at the suttlery?"

"I can learn how to make jewelry and bonnets."

"That would be a great way to get started in the whole reenactment business," he excused himself before stepping into the general's tent, leaving Kate to explore the camps.

Walking around, she noticed women already in period clothing. Some of them were sitting around talking with other women while their children played nearby. She couldn't believe how incredible the camaraderie was; everyone helping each other out setting up their camp and laughing as they unloaded their trailers. She had no idea people enjoyed reenacting so much. A noise behind her made her turn around to see who was approaching.

"Hey! You're Gabriel's wife, Kate, aren't you?" A young woman with strawberry blonde hair stopped in front of her with a smile on her face.

"Yeah. Might I ask who you are?" Kate replied.

"Oh, I'm Ava… Sean's girlfriend. He was telling me on the way here that his best friend got married, and I was just wondering who the lucky lady was," Ava shook Kate's hand before smoothing her dress. "You have no idea how great marrying Gabriel was. He's such a great guy, and I hated seeing him so depressed after Susan and the baby died. Now, he's got that spark back in his eyes."

Kate nodded in agreement, "Yes, he is a great guy, and I love him to death."

"Well, I just wanted to meet you, Kate¸ so I better get back before Sean wonders what happened to me. See you tomorrow!

After saying goodbye to Ava, Kate continued on with her walk through the camps. Even though it was dark, some re-enactors were still arriving and setting up their tents. With a glance to her left, the ominous form of the Schluter Mansion made her quicken her pace; it still gave her the chills being so close to another supposedly haunted building. _My gosh, why did they have to choose this place for our camp? I swear if I see another ghost I'm going back to the house. _The sight of Gabriel sitting underneath a tent fly talking with another cavalry member caught her attention. At a closer glance she saw a glass bottle in his hand, and every so often he would lift it to his lips.

"Gabriel, what on Earth are you drinking? That doesn't look like root beer," she questioned when she walked up with her hands on her hips.

He smiled and motioned for her to join him, "Jameson whisky. Would've been better if I had some Guiness, but this will do. Why?"

"Please don't get drunk, now. We haven't even been here an hour."

"I told you, baby, I don't drink other than at reenactments, and even then I don't drink very much," Gabriel realized that he had forgotten to introduce Kate to his friends. "I'm sorry, this is my wife, Kate… this is her first reenactment, so I'm teaching her a little about what we do. Kate, these are some of my good friends, Joe and Shane… don't get him confused with Sean. They ride for the 12th Kentucky Cavalry."

The older man with the scruffy beard nodded in acknowledgement, "It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am. I hope you find reenacting very exciting. Will you be attending the ball tomorrow?"

"I'm planning to," she replied politely.

"Well then, I shall be looking forward to a dance… that is, if Gabriel will give you up long enough."

"Of course."

A little while later, Kate was sitting next to the campfire while Gabriel and his parents cooked a small dinner in cast iron pans over the fire. The air had gotten a little chilly, causing her to wrap one of the blankets around her shoulders. Even though the actual reenactment hadn't started yet she was still fascinated by everything around her. With a glance over to her left she saw her husband talking with Sean and Ava while turning over trout fillets in the skillet. _Mmm, that smells delicious. I never would have thought cooking fish like this would look so good… Well, I'll just have to see how well Gabriel cooks. _She shivered when her blanket slipped, "Oh my, it's getting colder."

"Kate, honey, move over here where it's warmer. I don't want you getting cold," Gabriel became concerned after seeing her shivering.

Without hesitation, Kate picked up the wooden chair she had been sitting on and moved beside him, "I'm not going to freeze, Gabriel. I've got you to keep me warm."

He gave her a small smile before going back to their dinner. _What was I thinking; she is no delicate flower like some might think. She could probably go through a second Civil War and come out looking like a gem. _"Well, I'd like you to stay here beside me for company. Besides, this is ready and I want you to eat." Gabriel laid the fillets on a plate and handed her one with a fork.

"Gabriel, I'm not hungry."

"Eat. I can't have you getting skinny on me."

Kate forced herself to take a bite of the fish and found it rather delicious. Cast iron cooking turned out to be better than she thought it would be, "Do you need me to do anything, Gabriel?"

He stared at her for a few seconds before leaning back against his chair with his arms folded over his chest, "Just get plenty of rest. Believe me, tomorrow is going to be very eventful."

She quietly left the group after she finished her dinner and slipped into the tent. On her cot lay a white article of clothing. On closer inspection she recognized her chemise. After stripping out of her jeans and shirt she pulled on the long nightgown, which fell to her knees in a cascade of white, _I wonder if Mae's going to help me get all this stuff on in the morning? _The warm blankets were welcoming to her when she settled underneath them before falling asleep.

A faint crying was coming from the living room, rousing Kate from her deep sleep. She slipped out of bed to investigate the noise, and stopped dead in her tracks in the living room where she found Gabriel sitting on the couch with a bundle in his arms. A smile shone brightly on his face as his gaze drifted up to meet hers. That's when she realized what he was holding: a baby… their baby.

Kate jolted awake and looked around the tent. To her right Gabriel was sound asleep, snoring softly. Apparently her tossing and turning hadn't disturbed him in the least. Outside, the orange glow of the campfire embers flickered in the breeze. Most of the talking had died down except for a few voices, probably re-enactors who had arrived late. She wondered what time it was since the dream had left her disoriented, and then she remembered her cell phone was lying on the cooler under her cot. After fumbling around in the dark she pulled out her phone and flipped it open. The time read one-thirty; only five and a half hours until bugle call. Even though Gabriel had told her she didn't have to get up when he did, she was sure to be wide awake. Eventually her eyelids became heavy and closed.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

The brassy sound of the bugle was the first thing Kate heard the next morning. Another sound caught her attention; Gabriel was on the other side of his cot tucking the bottom of his cotton shirt into his gray wool pants. The white suspenders attached to the buttons on the trousers hung downward before he pulled them over his shoulders and put on his gray colonel's coat. The next items that went on were his knee-high boots and his gray Hardee hat, complete with an ostrich plume; despite history and most Confederate re-enactors he liked the look of the hat and thought it enhanced his looks as an officer. Before long her husband disappeared out the tent flaps.

Shorty after he'd left, Kate hopped off her cot and snatched up her pantalets and corset along with the light blue dress sprinkled with a small floral pattern. She pulled the pantalets over the bottom of the chemise, but struggled with the corset. _Grr, I need help with this silly thing._

As if on cue, Mae's voice called, "Are you decent, dear?"

"Oh, help me with this darned corset, Mae."

Mae entered the tent and started pulling on the stays. She had her completely corseted within a minute and was already getting the dress ready to slip on over her head. Afterwards, she fixed Kate's hair into a snood before tying the laces of her camp boots. At last, she was ready to walk out into the morning sunshine.

"Thank you, Mae," Kate threw a smile toward her mother-in-law.

"No problem."

The first person to greet the two was Ava, who sashayed over to them with tin plates full of breakfast. She, too, was in her day dress, although hers didn't have the crinoline underneath, "Good morning Kate… Mae. Did you sleep well?"

"I did," Kate replied happily. "But some of the guys were up talking for the longest time, I thought they'd never shut up."

Ava chuckled, "Yeah, they do that at every reenactment. Don't worry, you'll get used to it quickly… Did you hear that really loud laughing last night?"

"Who was that?"

"Sean," Ava had to contain her laughter in order to explain. "He sat down wrong in his chair and flipped backwards."

"Oh."

Mae nudged Kate in the side, "Eat and then follow me to the suttlery. Ava, you too."

The suttlery was a bunch of large, white tents grouped together on both sides of the road. There were vendors already setting up their displays inside their tents when Mae, Kate and Ava arrived at the tent they would be working in. Apparently one of Mae's friends had started setting everything up earlier that morning, for most of it was sitting on wooden shelves or hanging from racks.

_Wow, this is pretty cool. I never thought the suttlery would look like this, _Kate thought as she walked around inside of the tent, examining everything. Near the front counter stood a clear case containing beautiful jewelry, which immediately caught her attention. She found herself attracted to a black crystal necklace and earring set.

Around nine o' clock the sound of horse hooves pounding on the cobblestone streets alerted Kate of the arrival of Gabriel since the meeting had supposedly ended a few minutes earlier. Her husband entered the tent with his sword hanging off his hip and the hilt of his pistol shining in the sunlight. As he approached the women he removed his hat out of respect. He stopped and bowed in front of Ava and made a sweeping motion with the hat as he did so, making Ava giggle.

"How are you ladies this fine morning? It doesn't seem very busy, yet," Gabriel inquired while he turned a brass button over in his fingers. He tossed it into the air and snatched it before it hit the countertop.

"Just fine, sweetie," Mae was straightening up a box of uniform buttons and emblems. "How was the meeting?"

"Obnoxious like always. Where's Kate?" His eyes drifted around the tent, searching for his wife among the merchandise. He found her standing by the rack of shawls, sorting them by size, and walked up behind her with his hands behind his back. "Are you trying to hide from me, baby?"

The voice behind her made her jump, knocking over a display of reticules. "Don't do that, Gabriel!" She turned around and walloped his shoulder with one of the reticules, and then started setting up the display again.

"You're very jumpy."

"No thanks to you and your ghost walk."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned forward with his chin resting on her shoulder, "Ah, it wasn't that bad. Now, did you sleep well, honey? I heard you tossing around last night and was wondering what was going on… whether you were having a bad dream or if a squirrel had gotten in bed with you and you were trying to beat the hell out of it."

Her cheeks turned pink from hearing his assumption. She had hoped she hadn't woken him, but he didn't seem annoyed by it, "I'm sorry I woke you. It was just a dream."_ A rather surprising one, at that._

"No harm. So, are you ready to see your honey in action out there on the battlefield?"

She pushed past him with a basket of wooden knitting needles, "Just don't break your leg or crack your head open when you fall."

He snickered before following her over to the counter where he leaned against it with his arms folded over his chest, the hat dangling from his fingertips. He loved how she always thought she was smarter when it came to safety, "I'll probably get hit by an actual bullet before that happens. Trust me, I know what I'm doing," he leaned over and kissed her cheek as she walked by. Here in a few hours it will be time to head to the battlefield. Do you want to ride over with me or take the shuttle?"

"I'll ride with you, but you'll have to help me onto Bo since I'm wearing this silly crinoline."

As the clock hands fell on twelve-thirty, Kate and Gabriel arrived at a large pecan orchard where the battle was being held. They rode over to a group of men on horseback and Kate noticed that it was another cavalry unity. As she looked around she saw several cannons up on the hill with their limber boxes standing back behind the line. Before she could see everything, Gabriel kicked Bo, making him walk over to the hospital tent where they dismounted.

In front of them stood an older man with a red-stained apron, who was setting up a wooden door on two wooden saw horses. After the door was in place he laid out an assortment of different instruments with a bowl of red liquid to simulate bloody water. The surgeon looked up with a wide grin on his face when he saw Gabriel and Kate walking toward him.

"Well, hello, Gabriel…" he glanced over at Kate, who was standing slightly behind her husband. "Now, who's this beautiful, young woman? She certainly is a jewel."

Gabriel pulled Kate around in front of him to introduce the two, but she was rather shy about getting any closer to the surgeon when he was wearing a blood-stained apron with saws and other odd medical devices near him, "This is my wonderful wife, Kate."

"It's certainly a pleasure to meet ya, Kate. I'm Jack the surgeon," he picked up a large saw and a tourniquet. "So, do ya want me to take of your husband's leg?"

The question caught her off guard, "Uh… no. I think he needs it," she eyed the stained apron, afraid to ask about it. "Please tell me that's fake blood."

The surgeon leaned over the table and beckoned her closer, "Well, let me tell ya somethin' about this blood on me… We had an infantryman get shot in the knee last night when one of those damned Yanks caught him by surprise down by the riverboats. I was just sittin' here in me tent, readin' a book when I hear some of our boys yellin' and hollerin', so I go out to see what's goin' on and here come four dismounted cavalrymen carryin' the poor lad on a litter.

"No doubt in me mind when I saw the condition of the boy's leg that it had to come off. I had the men put him down on this here door while I wrapped the tourniquet around his leg right above the knee. Of course, when he saw me pull out the saw he started screamin' and fightin' off the boys I had holdin' him down. As if that wasn't enough, as I was cuttin' through his bone, the fool knocked the tourniquet loose and blood spewed all over the place, includin' me. Needless to say, he died within a matter of minutes," Jack pointed toward a large pecan tree where a fresh mound of dirt lay at the base. "We buried him over there early this mornin'."

Kate looked at the grave with a cocked eyebrow, "Why is his hand sticking out of the ground?"

"Oh… I just told the boys to drop 'em in and throw some dirt over 'em. By God, missy, this is war. There's no time for proper burials around here. He's lucky we didn't just throw 'em in the river."

"Seriously? That's really what happened? I don't recall hearing any gunshots last night," she was having a hard time believing the story the surgeon had told her. She was positive no gunshots had been fired the night before.

"Oh, yeah. I didn't think any of those Yanks would have the gull to actually shoot one of our men."

Kate turned to Gabriel for confirmation, but he, too, held a straight face, "Okay, so you're saying if I go over to that grave I'm going to find a body with an amputated leg?"

"Yep"

"I swear I didn't hear any shots fired last night, so how do I know you're telling the truth?"

"Do you want me to show ya the leg?"

Kate now had her arms folded over her chest and a determined look on her face, "If you can produce a leg, I'll believe you."

Finally, Gabriel couldn't stand it any longer, and started laughing so hard he had tears in his eyes and his sides ached. The sudden outburst caused Kate to turn her attention towards him, "My God, Kate… You are so gullible. Of course that didn't happen, we were just messing with you, and might I say, Jack, that was a good one. Better than the one you told me."

Jack bowed in front of them with a flourish of his hand, "I thank ya. It's always fun to joke with the new re-enactors."

A few minutes before the battle was supposed to start Kate found a place to sit and observe at the very front of the crowd. Mae and Ava joined her right after the first cannon fired, causing Kate to jump in surprise. From what she'd heard earlier, all of the cannons fired at the start of the battle for safety reasons.

Twenty shots later, the battlefield opened up with Confederate infantrymen advancing on the Union soldiers. It looked as if the boys in gray were outnumbering the opposing side, but a horse's whinny caught Kate's attention and she turned to see the Confederate cavalry trotting forward on the outskirts of the battle, with her husband leading them. As they neared the middle of the field she heard him give the order to charge the Federals, and charge them they did. Gabriel was already galloping far ahead of his unit when Kate heard a gunshot and saw Bo fall to the ground. On instinct she wanted to run out there and help Gabriel, but remembered him saying he was supposed to fall at a certain time, so she relaxed a little.

The battle ended close to two o' clock with the crowd applauding loudly as the 'dead' soldiers resurrected. For her first battle, Kate found it very interesting and action-packed, especially when the cavalry arrived to help out their men. From across the field she could see Gabriel cantering over to them with Sean right on his heels. Both of them seemed pumped up from the results of the battle, and it was showing very clearly by the way Gabriel grinned madly.

"What'd you think, Kate? Did it leave you on the edge of your seat?" He hopped down from the saddle and pulled her up to him.

"It was very interesting. I enjoyed it," she examined the hilt of his pistol before pulling it out to get a better look at the design on the barrel. "What do we do now, Gabriel?"

He took the pistol back and put it in the leather holster while keeping his eyes fixed on hers, "Well, I'm going to take a quick shower while Mom takes you to get ready for the ball. I'll meet you there, so don't worry about me… the ghosts didn't hold me hostage in the coffee shop."

"That's not funny," Kate glared at him, her arms crossed.

"I'm sorry, baby. I had to say that," Gabriel gave her a squeeze before heading off.

At the seamstress's shop close to six o' clock, Beth, Mae and Ava bustled around in their underpinnings getting everything in order for Kate while the blonde woman tied her large crinoline over the corset and loosed the purple ribbons at the top of her chemise to drop the neckline over her shoulders. As she tied the bustle on over the lacy petticoat, Mae slipped her black dancing slippers onto her feet and tightened the corset stays to cinch in Kate's waist; from what she learned, it was very fashionable for women in the Civil War era to have tiny waistlines.

"Oh, Gabriel's not going to believe his eyes when sees you dear. He'll probably have a seizure," Mae cooed while patting a powder puff over Kate's shoulders and the tops of her breasts.

Kate watched her curiously, "Is that really necessary?"

"Of course! This powder really emphasizes them to make them more noticeable," the older woman explained.

"More noticeable?! They're practically falling out of the corset now! And you want to make them more noticeable?"

"Kate, it was very common for women to do this."

The young woman shook her head and rolled her eyes. _If that's what they did, then I guess it's all right. I'm sure Gabriel will appreciate it, _"Okay, Mae. I just hope my girls don't pop out while I'm dancing. Boy, wouldn't that be the talk of the night?"

Mae giggled at her daughter-in-law's comment as she helped Beth get the dress ready to slip on over Kate's head. Since the dress was so voluminous both of them had to lift it to put it on her. Once it was adjusted properly on Kate's body, Mae made her way around, straightening the skirt out so that it fell to the floor in a beautiful cascade of lavender and black. Afterwards, Ava took to tying the black silk bow at the back of Kate's waist, then positioned the sleeves below her shoulders and fluffed up the black lace at her bosom. The next item to be placed on her was the black crystal, which Beth had turned into a brooch. She gently poked it through the material at the point of the neckline and let it hang freely.

For over thirty minutes the three women crooned over making Kate the belle of the ball. As soon as the dress was ready, Mae concentrated on fixing her hair by twisting front sections around her head and pinning them in the back before curling the ends in tight ringlets. To finish the look she curled pieces of her layered bangs into spirals that hung down on the sides of her face.

"You look absolutely stunning, Kate!" Beth exclaimed as she stepped back to get a better look at her. "I think you're ready for the ball."

"Wait!" Ava ran through the curtained doorway with the crystal necklace and earring set Kate had been looking at earlier that morning and skidded to a stop, nearly knocking Kate over backwards. She wrapped the adorned chain around her neck and fastened the crystal clasp before handing her the matching earrings.

Mae took the opportunity to rub a stick of pink rouge onto the apples of her cheeks and swiped a red-colored stain over her lips. After putting the stain back in her reticule, she lightly ran a coat of black mascara over her long lashes and said, "Now you're ready."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Many people were already inside of the Jefferson Institute by the time the women arrived. Mae stepped through the double doors, her orange and white dress swaying from side to side as she walked, followed by Beth and Ava. They had made a plan for them to enter the ballroom first so that Kate could make a grand entrance in her gorgeous dress and catch everyone by surprise, including Gabriel.

The boys were standing by the band at the back of the room, talking with some artillery and infantry officers. They smiled when the older women and Ava joined them and curtsied before the officers. The men returned the greeting by bowing respectfully. After straightening, Gabriel noted that someone was absent from their group, but turned back to the officers.

After a while some of the people started murmuring about something, drawing Sean's attention toward the noise, "Oh my sweet Atlanta!"

"What?" Gabriel questioned.

"You're wife. Look at your wife."

Gabriel turned around to see what his friend was getting so excited about, and his mouth literally fell open at the sight of Kate standing in the doorway looking positively radiant in her lavender gown. _Damn. _"Sean that is not my wife. There's no way."

"What do you think, sweetie? I think she makes a beautiful belle," Mae leaned over toward her son and smiled warmly.

"What did you do to her, Mom? All I've ever seen her in is jeans and a t-shirt."

"Well, now you can enjoy her presence in a whole new light."

He turned back to face Kate, who was gracefully making her way over to him with a wide smile glowing on her face. There wasn't a word he could think of to describe her at the moment for he was awestruck. _My God, she's so beautiful… Who knew she could look this amazing. _His thoughts diminished when Kate joined him, her eyes glittering in the light, or perhaps it was from an internal source. Whatever it was, it made her stand out among everyone else in the room.

"Kate… Wow… Just… Wow," Gabriel was at a loss for words.

"Yeah, I told your mom the powder was a little much, but she insisted that I wear it," Kate began with her eyes fixed on the carpeted floor, but suddenly realized that he was referring to something completely different. "Oh, you were meaning me in general, not just the powder. Well, thank you. I have Beth and your mother to thank for that. Beth is an amazing seamstress."

Gabriel chuckled as he thought about the older woman, "I know what you mean. I can't tell you how many times she's patched up my britches after I fell of Bo in a thorn bush and ripped them," he gently placed his right hand on the small of her back, pulling her closer to his body before taking her other hand in his. "I assume you know how the Grand March goes, right?"

The question shocked her. Sean never taught her that dance! What was she going to do? She didn't want to tell him that, but how would she be able to dance with him? _Maybe he can teach me before we start. _"Gabriel, I don't know this dance."

"Don't worry, it's easy. Just follow the dance master, he'll tell you everything you need to do. Besides, it's not actually a dance per se. Think of it as an introduction to the ball."

"Oh," Kate looked around the room and saw other couples, including Gabriel's parents and Sean and Ava, gathering on the dance floor for the opening Grand March. "I pray I won't fall on my face, tonight."

Gabriel hid a laugh as he lined up behind his parents with Kate on his right side, "You'll be fine, honey. You won't fall."

The March began with the couples splitting off either to the left or right, then joining another couple to form a line, which would go in the direction the dance master instructed. Eventually, a long line was formed and wound around the room in a snake-like pattern. At the end of the Grand March every couple turned and applauded the band before heading over to the chairs lined along the walls.

Once she arrived at one of the chairs, Kate stood, contemplating how she was going to sit in her large skirt, _Great. I wish Mae or Beth would have taught me how to sit in this thing, _"Uh, Gabriel… this is a stupid question, but how do I sit?"

"Well, considering I'm a guy and I don't wear dresses, I can't exactly show you, but I can tell you somewhat," he turned her around so that her back was facing the chair. "Now, gently sit so you don't break your hoops."

As she sat, the front of her dress flew up, revealing her white pantalets to Gabriel since he was still in front of her, "Oh God!" She quickly thrust her hands onto the skirt to lower it in an effort to keep others from seeing up her dress. "Gabriel!"

His eyes widened with the hint of a smile peeking out from the corners of his mouth, "Whoops! At least you have panties on underneath your bloomers," he pulled her up from the chair and fixed the bottom of her skirt. "Now, when you sit, lift the back of the skirt and sit, but be careful so as not to catch your skirt on the chair back, or you'll flash some people… although, you pretty much just did that."

After some careful maneuvering around, Kate managed to sit properly in her chair without going through what she had a few minute earlier, "Is it normal for my dress to take up two entire chairs?"

"Yes," Gabriel was scanning the room to see who was there, and then his eyes fell on two figures standing near the windows. _Dammit! What the hell are they doing here? _He saw one of the two staring directly at him with a sneer on his broad face. This was definitely not the time for another confrontation, especially with Kate just a few feet away, "Kate, you're looking a bit jittery, so go ahead and go to the restroom. I'll wait on you."

"What? No I…" she started to say, but was cut off.

"Yes, you do. Now, go to the restroom."

"Gabriel, why?"

He sighed heavily, keeping an eye on the two across the room, "Nick and Max are right over there, and I don't want them to see you," with a gentle tug, he pulled her out of the chair and hurried her to the doorway. "Quick, get into the restroom… I'll send Mom or Ava in to get you once I think it's safe."

Kate obeyed him and slipped out of the room just before Nick and Max approached her husband. As she made her way to the restroom she could hear Gabriel say something, but she couldn't make out what he said. For the most part, she didn't think she wanted to know. _Now, where is that restroom? Ah, it must be where that lady just came out. _She quickly stepped into the large restroom where she found herself thinking about the conversation between Gabriel and Nick. Hopefully this time they wouldn't get into a fight in front of everyone.

It must have been ten minutes or longer before Ava's head appeared around the door, "Kate? Gabriel wanted me to come and get you."

"Is Nick gone?" Kate hesitantly looked out into the hallway before following Ava to the ballroom.

"Yes. The police came and arrested him for 'disturbing the peace'. You can thank your husband for that."

_At least I won't have to worry about Nick bothering me, _Kate saw Gabriel discussing something with Sean until he caught sight of her and became quiet as if he didn't want her to hear. A feeling of apprehension started to rise within her, making the situation worse. All around the room she could hear the people murmuring to each other, no doubt in her mind it was about the arrest. _God, I wonder how bad it got, what with everyone talking. _As she neared Gabriel she could see the latch on his pistol's holster open, a clear sign he was ready to use the deadly device if the need arose, "Gabriel? What's going on?"

He immediately wrapped her up in his arms and kissed her cheek, "Are you all right, honey? You wouldn't believe how nasty it got in here."

"Ava told me the police arrested Nick. Why? What happened?"

"I have no idea. One minute we were talking in a civilized manner, and the next I saw my life flash before my eyes," Gabriel took in a large breath, trying to calm down. "He pulled his pistol on me."

Hearing that her husband's life had been threatened made her stomach flip. She could feel the bile rising in her throat before swallowing it, "My God," her eyes moved over his body to confirm he was not injured, "And Mae?"

"Dad had to take her outside for some fresh air. She fainted as soon as she saw Nick pull the gun on me… and if it wasn't for Sean I would be seriously hurt right now, or possibly even dead."

The thought of losing her only love nearly made her cry, and then reality passed through her veins, igniting them with a fire so powerful she believed not a single person could harm her or Gabriel… that is, if she had a say in it. _Nick will pay for all of the trouble he's caused. I'll make sure of that, _Kate clenched her fists while seething within. No more would she have to deal with that bastard.

"Kate," Gabriel's voice caught her by surprise. She had been pulled into her own thoughts of vengeance that she had completely forgotten about her friends and family around her.

With a shake of her head, the impediments of her life diminished, "Huh?"

"Do you want to go home, baby? Tonight's probably been ruined, anyway."

"I guess. I'm ready to get out of these clothes and go to bed," Kate's mood had changed dramatically since she had arrived at the ball. All she wanted was to go home and hide from the rest of the world, but she knew that wasn't going to happen any time soon. Gabriel would be right there comforting her for whatever reason. Her attitude at the moment was understandable considering what had gone down while she had been in the restroom.

"Alright, we'll go. To tell you the truth, I really don't feel like staying. Besides, it's been a long day, and you look extremely tired," almost instantly he remembered the tents set up by the mansion. "On second thought, we'd better stay in our tent. I promise everything will be fine. Just give it a chance."

The night air had turned chilly when Gabriel led his wife through the camp, trying to find their tent in the dark with only starlight to guide them. Before too long they managed to find the pile of wood that was the campfire. While Kate disappeared inside the tent, Gabriel struck a match and tossed it onto the pile, setting it ablaze. The orange and yellow light of the flames cast a glow on the tent and surrounding areas, making the camp warm and inviting. From some other part of the cavalry camp the loud voices of men floated high above the white canvas rows and echoed into the, otherwise, silent night.

All the while Kate was changing inside the tent; Gabriel took to lounging back in one of the wooden chairs, staring thoughtlessly at the tongues of fire disintegrating into wisps of gray smoke. The light had a calming effect on his body after the fiasco at the ball. A sound off to his right made him turn his gaze, and he saw the silhouette of Sean striding over, his hands buried deep in the pockets of his overcoat. An expression of worry revealed the real reason for coming to see his friend.

"Hey, Gabriel," Sean studied the empty chair beside his best friend. "Where's Kate? She didn't go over to see that creepy Schluter Mansion, did she?"

Gabriel chuckled smugly, "She wouldn't be seen over there until Hell froze over and Satan called to tell her that his roses were covered in ice."

The comment made Sean laugh before he pulled over a seat and sat next to Gabriel, "Listen, I know what happened back there was terrifying for all of us, but we don't need to worry about him, any longer. And Kate will be safe," the silence displayed between the two of them announced that it was time to change the subject. "Still no baby?"

A sigh escaped Gabriel's lips, "No… I don't think Kate is pregnant. She would have shown some signs by now if she was."

"Hey, it's only been two weeks. Give it time."

"I guess you're right, Sean. I need to be patient… but, God, it's endless! When Susan found out she was pregnant it seemed like a few days, but this seems like an eternity. Maybe I didn't do something right."

Sean laughed and slapped his hand on Gabriel's shoulder, "I highly doubt that, knowing you… but I'm sure Kate enjoyed it, nonetheless."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Gabriel started to blush bright red even in the darkness, "Can we talk about something other than mine and Kate's love life?"

"Fine."

Kate appeared a few minutes later, wrapped in a blue plaid fleece blanket with her hair down and blowing in the breeze. It looked as if she hadn't bothered to remove her makeup or any of the powder. With a long sigh, she plopped down in the chair on the other side of Gabriel and then pulled out her cell phone to check her messages. After seeing that her inbox was empty, she quickly snapped the phone shut and tossed it back into the tent.

"Were you expecting a call?" Gabriel questioned with a small glance her direction.

"No, but you'd think my dad would have called me by now. He hasn't even called me once since we left Washington," she explained with her face in her hands. The scent of burning cypress wood caught her attention, making her raise her head. "Are you cooking anything?"

Her husband leaned over toward the fire and poked at the embers with a wrought iron rod, "Not at the moment. Why?"

That answer was all she needed before she pushed herself up from the chair and headed for the end of their camp, "I think I'll go for a walk. Don't worry about me," and with that, Kate vanished into the darkness beyond the light of the fire.

Walking seemed to be the only way for Kate to clear her mind; she had gotten overloaded and needed to find a way to calm down and forget about everything. The laughter from another part of the camp became quieter as she tracked further away in the direction of the white mansion. The closer she got, the less ominous and unforgiving it appeared.

_Hmm, I wonder just how scary it is? _She thought as she stepped closer to the old house. For some reason she had a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. With a swift turn behind her, she found herself staring directly at Max, who bore a wickedly sick smile, "Get away from me. I'm warning you!" Kate took up a defensive stance, preparing to use any form of protection she could think of. As he neared, her fist clenched until the knuckles turned white, and then, with one swift motion, she thrust it forward, breaking his nose. To finish the job, she brought up her knee and hit him square in the groin. "Now, don't you _ever, _come near me or my family again, you…" she was cut off by a sound behind her, and turned around to see Gabriel and Sean running toward her.

The two stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Max on the ground, moaning in pain with his hands between his legs. Gabriel stared at the scene in front of him with disbelief, "Damn, girl! What did you do to him?!"

Kate swallowed a lump in her throat while still seething in disgust, "He angered me for the last time, and I guess I snapped. Oh well, at least I got my point across."

Gabriel wrapped his arm around her shoulders, leading her away from the mansion, "Come on, I've made hot chocolate, and it looks like you could use some," he leaned over and pressed his cheek against hers while breathing in her sweet lavender scent. It always had a calming effect every time he caught a slight whiff of it. "You look tired, honey. Do you just want to go to bed?"

She shook her head feebly, trying to hide a yawn, "No, I'll try to stay awake, but I don't know how long that will last," another yawn caught her by surprise as they neared their camp, which had started to fill up with people returning from the ball. The smell of chocolate and marshmallows wafted through the air, awakening Kate's senses. It smelled absolutely delicious as they neared the 1st Texas Cavalry camp, but when she saw the black kettle sitting on a grate over the fire, steaming, she quickened her pace.

"There she is," Mae stepped out of her tent with a relieved smile on her face. She had already changed out of her dress and was wearing her flannel nightgown with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. "Are you hungry? Gabriel made fish fry as well as hot chocolate."

"A little, but I don't know how much I can eat after being squeezed in that corset," Kate chuckled, and then sat down in one of the chairs nearest the fire. She gratefully accepted a plate of the catfish when Gabriel passed it to her and took a large bite after realizing how hungry she was. While chewing, a sickening feeling grew in her stomach, and she immediately hopped up and ran for the nearest trash bin before throwing up violently, her body leaning halfway over the bin.

"Oh, that's really nice, Kate. My cooking's not that bad. Sure, Sean added some garlic powder to the breading, but it can't be that terrible," Gabriel called jokingly, but cringed when he heard the sound of her throwing up, again. "Are you all right?! It sounds like you're trying to upchuck everything in your stomach!"

She returned to the group wiping her mouth on the sleeve of her nightgown and looking rather green in the face, "Why didn't you warn me that was catfish? I _hate _catfish! That's why I only eat cod," she threw a nasty glare in Sean's direction. "And your concoction of garlic and Worcestershire didn't help, either."

"That's what that other ingredient was?!" Gabriel questioned incredulously. "No wonder the girl got sick! Gross!" He set the plate of half-eaten catfish on a stool and hugged Kate. "Sorry about the catfish. I didn't know, but I'll make note of it for next time… and I'll be sure to hide the garlic and steak sauce from Sean."

Over the next thirty minutes, Kate cuddled up against her husband, who had his feet propped up on one of the stools and was mindlessly braiding a section of Kate's long hair while listening to some of the 1st Texas members chattering away about the upcoming reenactment at Elk Creek.

"Hey, Gabriel."

When his name was called he, he looked up from what he was doing to see everyone waiting on him to answer, "Huh?"

"Are you going to Elk Creek in September?" An older member named Jonathan asked.

"What?"

Sean intervened to help his obviously confused friend, and tugged on Gabriel's ponytail, "He asked if you were going to Honey Springs, Gabe!"

"Oh. Yeah… Sorry, I'm not really paying attention at the moment," he repositioned himself in the chair, pulling Kate onto his lap and wrapping her up in his arms in an effort to keep her warm. Before long, he felt her body go limp and motionless, and her breathing softened to that of a sleeping baby's. _Poor thing. She's probably sound asleep, and I don't pity her, _he thought as he pulled the blanket around her delicate body to block out the chilly air; this type of weather was unusual for early May in Jefferson.

"Are you going to bed, sweetie? You need to get some sleep for tomorrow," Mae rose from her chair and walked around to hug her son. "Aw, she must be tired. Shh… don't wake her."

Gabriel nestled his slumbering wife closer, resting her head on his broad chest, "No, we'll just sleep here, tonight."

"Are you sure? It might get pretty chilly."

"We'll be fine, Mom."

As the night wore on, the two in the chair became more and more comfortable, not even thinking about the cool air nipping at their skin. Still, they remained motionless in the canvas-backed chair with the blanket tucked around them.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

At some point, light rays shone in the east, arousing the camps from their sleep. The early morning bustle began as the re-enactors started preparing their breakfasts over the campfires, and waking their families. From another part of the camp, the sound of the bugle rose high above the tents, no doubt waking other camps.

Kate's eyes fluttered open before she looked around to see what was going on. A smile appeared at the corners of her mouth when she saw Mae tying the flaps of her tent back. She started to get up, but realized Gabriel had his arms locked around her waist.

"And where do you think you're going?" Gabriel smirked and then threw his feet off of the stool they had been resting on during the night.

"To see if Mae needs my help with anything," once more, Kate tried to get up, and this time broke free.

Gabriel stood up and walked over to the fire, where Rob was laying out sausage patties in the pans, "Better come over here and get you some breakfast before Sean and those other pigs scarf it all down."

She sauntered past him without even considering breakfast, but he reached out and caught her arm, pulling her to him, "Oh, no you don't. You're eating some breakfast. I can't have you looking like a twig," Gabriel nuzzled her cheek affectionately before handing her a full plate. "Now, you eat while I go clean up; I don't care for smelling like campfire smoke."

Kate had to think about what he had said, but it never made sense. _There's nowhere to take a shower around here. What's he talking about? _Where are-?" But he had already disappeared behind the rows and rows of tents. After contemplating the issue for a few seconds longer, she sat down next to Ava and hastily ate her breakfast. _I'll just go and see where he went._

The sun had already started to warm the air around her by the time she made her way down the street toward the Big Cypress Bayou. It seemed like the best place to look for Gabriel considering she didn't expect him to use a garden hose. When she neared the river, Kate passed Sean, who was carrying a haversack full of what looked like bricks of wax.

"Good morning, Kate!" He called and waved cheerfully.

"And the same to you," Kate continued on toward the river with the hopes of finding her husband. She came to a thick line of cypress trees bordering the river and stopped when she heard the sound of splashing water and became curious. With small, careful steps, Kate picked her way down the steep bank and stopped at the water's edge, seeing Gabriel bobbing up and down in the middle of the river with ripples flowing away from his body. "You better hope there's not a snapping turtle in there!"

Gabriel looked up, somewhat startled, to see Kate standing on the bank with a sly smile on her face like she had found something worth watching, "Spying on me, are you?" He moved closer to the bank, thinking of ways to convince her to join him. "What's wrong? Haven't you ever seen someone bathe in a river before?"

She glanced over to her right when something caught her eye, and saw his clothes hanging over a tree branch, "You're naked."

He rolled his eyes and grinned before speaking in his smooth, Irish accent, "Isn't that the whole point? Besides, haven't you ever skinny-dipped?"

"Well, no. Why would I do something like that?"

"Live a little! There's nothing wrong with it, so come on," he motioned for her to step into the water, but she wouldn't budge an inch.

"No, what if someone sees us?"

"We're not going to be seen, now… come here. Don't be afraid, honey."

The lustful sparkle in Gabriel's aqua eyes drew Kate nearer, the water coming to her ankles and soaking the hem of her dress and petticoats. His beckons became more and more tempting the longer she stood at the water's edge. For an instant, she saw herself floating mindlessly next to her husband's perfect body, and then a sudden cold sensation hit the front side of her body, causing her to leave the pleasant daydream, When she looked back at Gabriel, he was shaking with laughter, "Gabriel!" Kate wiped away the ribbons of water running down her chest before shooting him a glare.

"Are you coming in, or what?"

With a quick glance around her, Kate confirmed they were alone. _I hope no one comes looking for us. _Once she had made up her mind, she unhooked the crinoline and stepped out of it, but fumbled with the buttons on the front of her dress, partially from nervousness. Once she had worked them free she let the day dress fall to the ground in a pile of light pink ruffles. All that remained now was her underpinnings, but losing the tight-fitting corset was fine by her. _Geez, why couldn't the bra have been invented earlier? And why did fifteen inch waistlines have to be the fashion back then? _She untied the petticoats and pushed them off of her hips, but she struggled with the corset stays. Eventually, she thought of an easier way to get out of the contraption, and unfastened the busk, allowing her to unwrap it.

"Having problems?"

"Yes, and you're not helping."

"You know, I would have already had that thing off of you," Gabriel floated on his back while staring up at a lonesome cloud drifting by overhead. "It's strange that I would know more about women's fashion from that period than you. I could probably even tell you the order in which it goes on."

"It wouldn't surprise me if you could."

"Maybe I need to teach you these things… Kate?" When he looked back at her she was wading out to him with her arms crossed over her bare chest in an effort to conceal her breasts, "Hey, there's no reason for you to feel ashamed of the body God gave you," Gabriel pulled her against him and laid his cheek against hers, inhaling her hypnotic lavender fragrance. "It's a beautiful masterpiece."

Kate turned her face away from his, still feeling extremely shy about exposing herself like this in broad daylight when anyone could walk by and see them. This was also exceeding everything her parents had taught her. Since they weren't there, at the moment, she threw all of their rules out the window. _This feels so dirty, and not because I'm in a river, _"Gabriel, this is crazy. There's probably snakes and who knows what else in here."

"I saw a copper head swim by earlier."

"What?!"

"Do you want to move down river?"

"Preferably, because I don't want that snake snacking on my butt."

Without saying another word, both of them swam around a bend in the river, which turned out to be a better location after all since it had more trees to hide them just in case someone happened to pass by. It was the perfect place to spend private time with each other without anyone to break in and bother them.

"Now, tell me what you think about this whole reenacting business. Do you think you'll want to go to others with me, and possibly even get involved with the real side of reenacting?"

She stared at him, somewhat perturbed, "Isn't what I'm doing now the real side?"

"Hell no! I'm talking about getting into the action, like what I do…. Do you have anything you might be interested in doing?"

"I don't know. I don't seem like the person to be doing something like that."

Gabriel reached out and rested his forearms on Kate's shoulders while staring into her pale blue eyes, searching for the spark he loved, "I know you can ride, but can you shoot a gun?"

"No, but I can learn…" a smile spread across her face as a thought entered her mind. "What if I joined your cavalry unit? Surely there are women in it."

_Wow, she's got some serious spunk, _"We'll talk about it later, but for now, come here, baby."

Thirty minutes later Gabriel and Kate swam back to where they had met up, but stared in shock at the riverbank; all of their belongings had disappeared! Every article of clothing except for a couple towels was missing.

"What are we going to do, Gabriel?! I'm not walking through camp naked," Kate questioned.

"We'll have to use the towels," _and I'm going to kill Sean for this. _He stepped out of the water and snatched up the towel before wrapping it around his waist. When he looked back, Kate was still in the water trying to conceal her naked body while waiting for him to toss her a towel.

"Would you hurry up and toss me that towel?! I want to go beat the person who took our clothes."

"My senses tell me it was Sean," Gabriel started up the hill towards the road with Kate following closely behind. "He's always doing stuff like that to annoy me. Now that you're married to me, you'll also be an easy target for some of his pranks… but don't worry, I'll get him back."

By the time they arrived at the camp, the 1st Texas Cavalry was gathering by the tree for a quick overview of the day's battle. Apparently they had been waiting on their colonel, since all of them turned to look at Gabriel when they walked up in their towels. He noted that the only member not present was Sean.

_Figures. He's probably off hiding our clothes, the idiot, _"What'd I miss?"

Rob stared at his son for some time before speaking, "Why don't you get your uniform on, and then we'll start the meeting."

"I would, but Sean decided to play a nasty joke on us while we were down at the river. So now our clothes are missing."

"You brought your Federal uniform, didn't you?"

Gabriel remained silent for awhile, contemplating what his father had suggested. He had a point, but didn't think that would look so good if a colonel wearing the Union blues was leading a Confederate cavalry unit, "Do I have to wear it? I'd rather ride naked than wear that disgraceful uniform."

"Unless you can find your gray one in five minutes, yes, you do."

"Where's Sean?"

"He's at the Louisiana campsite. Why?"

His son had already taken off in the direction of the larger camps in hopes of tracking down Sean and their clothes. The manner of his stride meant he was on a mission and wasn't about to stop for anything. When he neared the bed & breakfast with the mural painted on the side of the building he could see the Louisiana Tiger's colors blowing in the breeze. Several Zouaves were already drilling with their rifles, but stopped when they saw Gabriel walking toward them dressed in nothing but a bath towel.

"Hey! Have any of you seen Sean Howitzer around here?" Gabriel asked.

A tall, lanky man who looked to be in his mid-thirties stepped forward, "The Howitzer kid? Yeah, he passed by a few minutes ago, and then he left in that direction," the man pointed toward the saloon which Kate and Gabriel had visited on their ghost walk. "Is he a friend of yours?"

"Yeah."

"Hey, you guys are camped up by the Schluter Mansion, aren't you? Great place. Well, hope you find your friend."

"Me too," _and then I can make him run drills until Hyjinx kills over. _"Thanks!"

"You bet."

A few minutes later Gabriel spotted his friend standing near a tall tree, but when Sean noticed him a wry grin crept across his face as he waved Gabriel's uniform and boxers in the air. It was always fun to joke with him, but he knew he was going to get rebuked for his actions. No matter what the punishment ended up being, he'd deal with it.

"Sean, you are so dead," Gabriel growled and stepped in front of his best friend with a scowl on his face. "I hope you have Kate's clothes with you. She's not too crazy about standing around camp in a towel."

"Well, I thought it was a rather nice joke. Now, how about we go and get ready for today's battle?"

All the while Gabriel was dressing in his gray uniform; Sean sat on Kate's cot adjusting his suspenders. Several thoughts ran through his mind, including the one of Gabriel's dream of being a father. He couldn't believe how long it had been since he had lost Susan and the baby; to him it seemed as if it had happened yesterday. He'd never forget the phone call he received that evening when Gabriel called him to inform him that his wife had passed away giving birth to their child, who ended up being stillborn. The sound of Gabriel crying would haunt him forever.

"Gabe, I've noticed that Kate seems different."

"How do you mean?" Gabriel snapped his suspenders onto his shoulders before fastening his sword belt around his middle.

"Do you seriously think she'd get that sick over eating catfish? And do you recall how beautiful she looked last night? She actually looked as if she had a glow about her."

Gabriel turned to face Sean, his eyebrows furrowed, "Are you insinuating that she's pregnant?" He was positive that it was too early to tell.

"Hey, it's possible. Besides, if she was, then you might have that little girl you've always wanted."

Kate was helping Mae and Ava at their suttlery tent when the two men walked in, Gabriel's sword on his hip. Both of them stopped by the counter, where Kate was tying bows on a bonnet, but she smiled at the sight of her husband and hurried around to hug him. She even hugged Sean even though she had given him a serious tongue-lashing earlier that morning when he returned to camp with Gabriel. After releasing him, she stepped back and daintily straightened some white lace handkerchiefs that were near the bonnets.

Look how pretty she is, Gabriel. You are certainly a lucky man to have such a beautiful wife. Why, if you weren't married to her I would have to take her for my own," Sean took Kate by the hand and twirled her around.

A pink tint shone on the apples of Kate's cheeks at Sean's comment, "Oh, stop it. You make it seem as if I'm the only woman around. That's just what I need," she hitched up her skirts in preparation to stand on one of the stools so that she could put some of the bonnets on the top shelves, but when she turned back around she lost her footing and started to fall.

"Easy, now!" Gabriel was right there to catch her when she fell, his arms wrapping around her small body. "Be careful, honey. I don't want you getting injured," the look in his eyes was one of pure love and concern.

She straightened her dress before planting a kiss on his cheek and going over to a basket of corsets," I'm fine, Gabriel. You don't have to worry about me."

"I'm always going to worry about you, Kate. Besides, I'll be acting the same way once we have a baby. There won't be any room for stupidity and acting like an ass," he threw a look over in Sean's direction, who quickly turned away. "I'll be devoted completely to my family," he reached over her arm after stepping up behind her, and placed one of the rolled up corsets into the basket. Kate's lovely lavender scent filled his nose, sending a pleasant shockwave throughout his body just as it always did.

"When are we returning home?"

Her question caught him off guard, but he eventually found his voice, "We'll be striking the camp after the battle… and then we'll be sleeping in our nice, warm house again… That is, until September when we go to Honey Springs."

"How far away is that?"

"It's in Checotah, Oklahoma," a warm smile appeared at the corners of his mouth. "Don't worry, you'll love it. It will be as big as this one, if not bigger."

Some time in the late afternoon the final rebel yell fell silent over the body-strewn battlefield as the Battle of Port Jefferson came to a dramatic end. All of the men in blue and gray, including the 'casualties' stood in front of the crowd and shot off a volley within their regiments as a salute before they made their way off of the battlefield.

Gabriel scooped up his wife after dismounting from the saddle and gently set her on Bo's back before getting on behind her, "Now it's time to finish taking the camp down so we can go home and relax," he clucked to his horse before they rode off to their camp.

While the two rode through the streets of Jefferson a thought came to Kate's mind, "Are you ever going to show me The Grove?"

"The Grove?" Gabriel glanced down at his wife with a confused look on his face. "You're positive you want to go on another ghost walk after you nearly peed your pants the first time?"

"Hey! You ran, too… and I only ran because that ghost was smelling my neck."

He sighed and wrapped his arms around her neck, planting a kiss on her cheek. _She's my girl._


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Soon after the sun had set, the family returned to their small country home hidden in the beautiful cypress trees. After he had taken their belongings inside, Gabriel found Kate sitting on the wooden porch swing, staring up at the thousands of stars amidst the dark sky. He softly sat next to her, tucking his legs underneath him.

"The stars are absolutely beautiful, tonight."

"I agree."

"You know, Sean's been asking me if you're pregnant, and I have to keep telling him that you aren't. I hope I won't have to very soon."

_I hope you're right, Gabriel, _Kate thought while moving closer to her husband's warm body. She wanted to believe she was carrying his baby, but there hadn't been any signs as of yet, "Gabriel, why can't your mother have any more children?"

"Well, it's hard to say. I mean, they tried for over a year just to get me. After that, they couldn't become pregnant," he said. "That's why Mom's hoping you're pregnant."

A noise off to their left caught their attention, making Kate reach over to Gabriel for protection, but she relaxed when the forms of Sean and Ava pushed through some azalea bushes and made their way up to the long porch to meet Kate and Gabriel. They stopped on the other side of the railing, Sean smirking in delight.

"I assume we're still on for tonight?" Gabriel inquired, returning his friend's smirk.

"You bet. I already have the keys."

At this point, Kate was completely confused, "Keys? What keys? What do we need keys for?"

Her husband leaned over and kissed her temple, "We're going to stay the night in The Grove… or at least stay as long as we can."

"Are you serious?! You want me to stay in a creepy house with dead people?! Do you have any idea what that will do to me mentally?"

"Don't worry, honey. Besides, Sean and Ava will be there with us."

"Alright. I guess I can handle it for one night."

The dark house stood silent as the four stared at the blackness of the windows. An eerie feeling seeped through their veins, leaving them unsure if they wanted to continue with their sleepover. To add to the foreboding feeling, the front sidewalk had a chain across it as if to keep people out. While they stood on the other side of the chain, Kate kept her eyes fixed on the side of the house where the rose gardens were, praying she didn't see anything moving among them.

The blonde woman blinked a few times in disbelief before turning to look at Gabriel, who was digging out the keys from his jeans pocket, "You want me to stay _here_ the entire night? It practically has 'leave now' written on the door."

"It's just one night, Kate," he unhooked the chain blocking off the sidewalk leading up to the house. "Anyway, this is the only way we can prove if the rumors are true. Think of it as our honeymoon."

"Gabriel, when I pictured our honeymoon I didn't see it at this place amongst Casper and his other ghostly friends."

Without commenting to her retort, the four of them walked up to the front door and Gabriel unlocked the glass-paneled door, cringing as it creaked open. After glancing around inside, he motioned for the others to follow him. Once safely inside the dark entrance, they spread out to get a better look at the old house. From the way the furnishings were arranged it seemed like a normal bed and breakfast.

"So, how about we set up our sleeping bags and then we can go explore the mysteries of The Grove," Sean suggested while unrolling his overly stuffed sleeping bag.

"Hey, genius, how about we turn on some lights first so we can actually see what we're doing?" Gabriel stood near what he assumed was a couch with his arms folded over his chest.

Sean started to reply, but reached over and flipped on the light switch to keep his friend from saying something he'd regret later. Afterwards, he slipped out of the room to investigate the other parts of the house. He figured that he could pull a major prank on the other three, but didn't know how well that would work.

Meanwhile, Kate found herself staring at a portrait of a woman with a severe look about her, which sent shivers racing down her spine; the picture seemed to be following her every move, "Gabriel, I don't like the look of this picture."

Her husband stopped beside her, his hands resting on his hips, "Ah, I see you've found 'Minerva'."

"Well, 'Minerva' is creeping me out," she made her way into the kitchen with Gabriel right behind her, and found Ava standing by the table. "What are you looking at, Ava?"

"I'm just having a look around. This house is actually very beautiful," the woman replied happily.

All of a sudden, the overhead lights began to flicker off and on, causing the two women to stiffen. Gabriel rolled his eyes before yelling, "Sean, knock it off!"

"What do you mean? I'm right here."

Gabriel turned around to find his friend standing by the window, nowhere near the light switches. The next thing he knew, Kate was running for the front door, but she didn't get far. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away from the door, "Oh no, you don't. There is nothing to be afraid of in here."

"Then why were the lights doing that?" Her voice was shaky from the incident a few minutes earlier.

"It was probably a short circuit in the wires. This house is really old."

"Then someone needs to get their happy behind in here and fix the wiring before I jump out the nearest window."

When they returned to the kitchen, Sean and Ava were staring up at the lights, which were still flashing. The room remained silent as they contemplated what was causing the strange anomaly. Eventually, Sean came up with the only plausible, but outrageous answer.

"It's a poltergeist."

Kate surprised everyone by saying, "What the hell is a poltergeist?"

"A poltergeist is like a ghost; they like to cause a raucous and scare people. Mainly young people."

"Sean, I swear to God, if you're feeding us some kind of horseshit you better hope I don't come after you with a rusty hatchet."

To bring peace back to the group, Gabriel suggested that they go into the living room. They followed him into the room, where they found their belongings all mixed around. There wasn't a doubt in their minds about what had caused this, but they tried to keep themselves from thinking about it.

Around ten-thirty the four of them were wrapped up in their sleeping bags while talking about different things. The subject that was most talked about was Kate's life as the daughter of famous singers. They were surprised to learn that she had no intention of following in their footsteps.

"I am so thankful to have found Gabriel. Now I can enjoy the rest of my life," she rested her head on his shoulders, relishing the warmth of his body. However, in the back of her mind she felt like they were being watched by something or someone.

"That's so sweet," Ava couldn't help but show her feminine side. "So, have you two decided about having children? I know Gabriel would be more than ready."

Kate and Gabriel exchanged glances before he replied, "Actually, we've been debating whether she might be pregnant as we speak."

"Well, let's hope."

Sometime in the night all of them had fallen asleep except for Kate, who was constantly thinking about where they were. A few times she thought she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. If anything was in the house, then it didn't seem to be bothering them or have any interest in their presence. At one point, she was staring up at the ceiling when she saw a face hovering over hers and figured it was Ava wanting to tell her something, but she realized that it wasn't Ava's face at all. This woman's face was too narrow, not to mention, had a whitish glow to it. That was when it hit her… She was staring into the eyes of a spirit.

"Gabriel… Gabriel, wake up," Kate whispered as she shook her husband's arm in an attempt to get his attention. "Look at the ghost."

After several seconds of being shaken, Gabriel leaned forward onto his elbows and looked over to find Kate wide-eyed, "What's wrong, honey?"

"There's a ghost watching us, Gabriel… Look!" But when she turned back to show him the apparition, it had vanished. "What? She was right there. I'm telling you!"

He looked at her skeptically, trying to believe what she was saying, "Kate, go back to sleep. I'm sure you were just dreaming," he yawned and fell back to his pillow.

"No, I wasn't dreaming. I really saw her," as she spoke, the same white-colored spirit reappeared, hovering over Gabriel's body like an attentive mother caring for her sick child. "Gabriel! Look, she's right over you!"

Once more, Gabriel awoke, somewhat annoyed by her 'imagination', but froze at the sight of the female spirit only a few inches away from his face. At first he thought his eyes were deceiving him, and then reality sank in, "Stay still, Kate. She won't hurt you."

"What does she want?"

"I'm not sure. She's probably just curious as to who we are."

Kate scooted closer to Gabriel and grabbed onto his upper arm, "The rumors are true, then. There really are ghosts in this house."

"You're right."

The early morning light shown through the window as the four of them ate at the kitchen table the next morning. Kate and Gabriel remained silent about the sighting the night before. While they knew they weren't alone, they weren't prepared for what would happen next. A freezing cold sensation entered the side of Gabriel's body, causing him to shiver, mostly from fright. Afterwards, the strange feeling drifted away, taking its passes through the rest of them.

_Leave… Leave… _The frightening voice filled Kate's head, making her hyperventilate, "Do you hear that?! We need to leave! Now!"

"Kate-." Sean began.

_LEAVE!_

"For once, I think you're right!"

It didn't take them long to gather up their belongings and hurry out of the house. They would have continued running down the road, but Gabriel had insisted on locking the door to keep others from going into The Grove. From that point on they wouldn't be returning.

Mae welcomed Kate and Gabriel home with open arms, a wide smile gleaming just as it always did. She wrapped her arms around her daughter-in-law and kissed her cheek before leading them into the inviting house. Their experiences of the night before and during breakfast were finally over.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Kate stared at her half-naked body in the floor-length mirror, wondering about her somewhat round belly. She had gained quite a bit of weight since their encounter at The Grove in May. Now, it was early September and the weather had started to reflect the new season; she had the bedroom windows open to let in the crisp fall air. The beautiful day had pulled her attention to the outdoors, and she smiled at the sight of her husband romping around in the back pasture with Charlie while Bo and Yankee enjoyed grazing on the freshly cut hay in their trough. He had been polishing his McClellan saddle, but couldn't resist taking time to bask in the abundant sunshine.

_Could I really be carrying your baby, Gabriel? There's no other explanation for my weight gain, _the sound of the bedroom door opening startled her.

"It's just me, dear," Mae joined her in front of the mirror, where she bent over and laid her hand on Kate's belly. "Hello, little one."

"Mae, we don't know if I'm pregnant. You _have _been feeding me exceptionally well, so that could be a reason for my growth."

The older woman straightened, her hands on her hips, "Kate, it's very obvious. There's no doubt in my mind that my grandchild's in there."

A peaceful sigh escaped Kate's lips. She truly wanted to believe her baby was nestled safely inside her womb. Hopefully, she'd find out soon whether or not she was pregnant, "Well, I guess it's time to start getting my things ready for Honey Springs."

"Oh! That reminds me… I picked up your new dresses from Beth's," she started to leave, but turned back around. "Could you do me a favor and get Gabriel's uniforms out of the closet, but be careful of the pistol. I don't want any holes put in my walls."

Kate giggled as she opened the large oak doors near the windows. It wasn't hard to find the uniforms among Gabriel's other clothes, for they were right in the middle, separated by sheer green curtains. She gently took the wool uniforms out, surprised by how heavy they were, and laid them on the bed along with his hat and boots. When she turned back around the glint of the sword in its sheath caught her eye.

_I wonder if this thing is real? _With a small heave, she carefully lifted the weapon and almost dropped it. _Yes, it's definitely real._

"What are you doing?"

The voice behind her caused her to stumble into the bed before turning around to see Gabriel standing in the doorway, an eyebrow cocked in questioning, "Gabriel! Mae told me to get your uniforms out, so I thought I'd also lay your sword out for you… That thing is heavy! Where did you get it?"

He stepped over and picked up the sword, and then pulled it out of its sheath in one swift motion, brandishing it for her to see, "Susan gave it to me at the reenactment of Chickamauga. I've used it ever since."

"That was so sweet of her," Kate realized that she was just in her bra and panties, but she came to her senses. _Get a grip, Kate. He doesn't care. _"How long will it take to get to the battlefield?"

"Close to five hours if not longer," he laid the sword on the bed before wrapping his arms around her from behind, resting his hands on her belly. An unfamiliar scent drew him closer. It had a faint sweetness to it, but it wasn't overpowering. "Is that a new perfume?"

"No, it's baby powder."

Her answer surprised him, "Are you trying to tell me something, honey?"

"No."

"Oh," not the answer he had been hoping to hear. "Well, hurry and get dressed… I want to show you something."

Before she could question him, he had slipped out of the room, "He is a mystery sometimes," after grabbing a pair of light wash jeans out of one of the dresser drawers she hastily pulled them on along with her favorite purple shirt. It wasn't long before she found Gabriel waiting outside by the tall tree in the bright sunshine. He motioned for her to follow him as he started for a dense line of cypress trees along a stream that flowed into the Big Cypress Bayou several yards to the north. _Oh boy. Where is he taking me this time? Great, I hope he doesn't plan on showing me some moss-covered log or the world's largest mushroom. _"Um, where are you taking me."

He chuckled softly while holding back a tree branch for her to pass by without getting scratched up, "You'll see."

"That sounds familiar. Now, where have I heard that before?" She replied slyly, recalling the day when she had taken him to the beautiful mountain ridge.

Gabriel resumed his place leading, and slipped his hand into hers. He had every intention of sharing his special place with the love of his life and hoped she'd find it as peaceful and amazing as he did, "We're almost there. It's just on the other side of these trees," with a push on a low-hanging tree branch, Gabriel revealed the most beautiful clearing anyone had ever seen. "What do you think, baby?"

The scene in front of her was extraordinary. She didn't exactly know what to say, for she was at a loss for words. It wasn't long before the pond caught her eye. The water feature lay in the very center of the clearing, its surface glittering in the beams of sun peeking through the canopy of trees. Every now and then the breeze would cause ripples to span out over the water, where they came to rest at the bank. Rising over the pond was a rounded bluff, providing a pedestal for the magnificent willow tree with its waterfall of branches reaching out over the water. It was like something right out of a fairytale. Could she be dreaming?

"Gabriel… I… How is this even real?" She moved next to him to share the moment, but he was already walking up the bluff before turning back to her.

"Are you coming?"

At this point she couldn't resist the temptation of looking around the clearing, and followed him. They stopped beneath the willow and sat on the ledge of the bluff with their legs dangling over, "Does anyone else know about this place?"

"Only Susan," he sighed heavily. "This is where she told me that she was pregnant."

"It's the most beautiful place I've ever seen. Who would have thought it would be here in the middle of a bayou?" Kate wished they could stay in this timeless place forever, but the sound of her cell phone ringing pulled her from her thoughts. After digging around in her jeans pocket, she pulled out the small device and flipped it open. "Hello?"

"Hello to you, too, sweetheart," the voice on the other side replied happily.

Kate recognized the voice and became excited, "Daddy?! Oh, my gosh! I've been hoping you'd call."

"I've wanted to call you, but every time something always came up," he paused. "Listen, we're planning on coming down to see you in a few days. I hope that will be all right with Gabriel's parents."

"Of course!" That's when she remembered that the reenactment was around that same time. "Oh, we'll be going to Honey Springs then, but I'm sure the others would be happy to have you guys join us. You'll probably have to stay in a hotel if we don't have an extra tent."

"That'd be fine… Well, I've got to go. Your mother's hollering at me. I love you, Kate."

"I love you, too, Daddy."

Kate returned the phone to her pocket before slipping off her shoes and dipping her feet in the cool water. She glanced out of the corner of her eye at Gabriel, who was lazily plucking at a blade of grass, and then, with a snicker, pushed him off into the water.

A few seconds later Gabriel came back up, spitting out a mouthful of water, "What the heck was that for?" He watched her, waiting for a reply¸ but when she refused to answer, he reached up and grabbed onto her calves, preparing to pull her in.

"Gabriel. No… No!" She shrieked in surprise as her body hit the water with a splash. The sudden temperature change sent her flailing toward the surface until she felt the warm rays of sun on her face, again. Once her heart had calmed, Kate twisted around to find her husband right in front of her, a lustful and irresistible smile on his face as he beamed at her. His bright aqua eyes burned for her like a million stars, seeking her love.

He longed to kiss her lips and hold her close. There was a deep feeling of intimacy growing between them, and eventually Gabriel couldn't resist taking advantage of the moment. He pulled her against his body, feeling her soft curves, which sent tingles throughout him. His heart raced as he passionately covered her lips with his. He could feel her kiss become ravenous as if she hungered for more than he was giving her.

A few seconds later, Gabriel pulled back, gasping for air, "Damn girl! I've got to use those lips."

Kate lovingly brushed her lips against his, "Oh, yes you do… For nothing but this," she noticed how his shirt clung to his body, revealing the musculature underneath, and she swiftly removed it to get the full view. "How about you give me some of your sweet, Irish love?"

"And what do I get out of it?"

"An 'I owe you'."

Gabriel thought about her offer before replying, "I'll hold you to it."

A little while later, both of them lay on the soft grass, staring up at the orange light of sunset. Their clothes were almost dry, but they barely noticed, for they were too busy trying to figure each other out.

"What are you thinking right now, Gabe?" Kate asked before turning on her side to look at him.

He was silent for some time, thinking about what he would say, "You… I've noticed quite a change in you over the past couple of months."

_Is my weight gain that noticeable? _She thought. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you've been more attentive and interested in helping Mom around here… And please don't kill me for this… You've gained some weight. Just because I said I didn't want you turning into a twig didn't mean you had to go and gorge yourself."

"That's not the reason," she swallowed to clear the lump in her throat. "I think it might be something… a little more. Gabriel, how long was it before Susan started showing outward signs of her pregnancy?"

"Oh, probably about four months, but that was so long ago and…" that was when reality hit him like a knee to the groin. "Kate! Do you think you're pregnant?"

The young woman shut her eyes for a brief moment, contemplating how she'd breech the subject, "It's entirely possible. I'll wager that's why I threw up that night in the camp. Even though I loathe catfish, that still wouldn't be enough to make me throw up."

_Damn, now I owe Sean ten bucks. I need to learn not to gamble on female problems… I always end up losing, _"That's great! I can't wait to-."

"Gabriel, I don't know for sure. I haven't even been to the doctor. To tell you the truth, I haven't even seen an office around here."

"I can take you when we get back from Honey Springs," he offered with a smile.

Kate thought about what he had suggested and didn't know what to say," Actually, I'd kind of like to go with Mae. It's a woman thing, you wouldn't understand."

"I understand perfectly, babe," Gabriel stretched out on his back with his hands behind his head. He thought about Kate's condition and what they would do if she was pregnant. He'd have to give up so much of his time to provide for her and the baby, but it was a sacrifice he was willing to make.

Her voice was soft and tender as she spoke, "What would you name the baby if I had a girl?"

"I've always loved the name Shannon, but I would also like to name her after you. You've got the most beautiful middle name."

"What? Cassandra? You'd name her Shannon Cassandra?"

"Do you not approve?" He turned his head to look at her.

"I do. I think it's a pretty name."

When they returned to the house, Mae was sitting in her rocking chair crocheting what looked to be a blanket. She smiled up at the two as they passed by. Once in his room, Kate started to undress while Gabriel was in the bathroom, but she jumped when he snuck up behind her and grabbed her by the hips. He had a wry grin on his face before sitting down on the end of the bed and pulling her onto his lap.

"You look tired, honey," he stated after seeing her expression.

She suppressed a yawn, but there was no hiding it, "I guess I am a little tired. Maybe I should just go to sleep."

He pressed his lips to the side of her head and rested his hands on her belly. A few seconds later he removed them after feeling something strange, "Did you feel that, Kate? I swear I felt some movement."

"That was my stomach growling."

"I don't think your stomach _kicks_ when it's hungry," he looked around the room before getting up. "Do you have a pregnancy test?"

"Well, no."

"I swear on Susan's grave… Sorry Susan… You're pregnant," Gabriel was bound and determined to find out if his wife was, indeed, carrying his baby. "I can't take the suspense of not knowing! Wait!" He ran out to the living room where he nearly crashed into his father, who was carrying a pile of woolen blankets. "Dad! I need you to run to town and get me, like, five pregnancy tests!"

Rob stared at his son awkwardly with a raised eyebrow, "Uh, are you expecting a baby, son? Because the last time I checked you had man parts."

"Wha-? No, they're for Kate!"

"Okay, now that makes more sense, but why do you need five?"

"Those things tend to lie," Gabriel tapped his foot impatiently while his father set the blankets on the arm of the couch. "Can you please hurry?"

"Why can't you go?"

"I need to stay here with Kate."

Rob chuckled warmly and pulled out his keys, "Gabriel, I don't think she's going to give birth in the next ten minutes. We don't even know if she _is _pregnant."

"Precisely why I need you to go."

"Alright, I'm going. God, you'd think someone was having a baby," he muttered to himself as he walked out the front door.

The clock above the family photo read 9:47 by the time headlights flashed around the living room where Mae, Gabriel and Kate sat waiting for Rob's return. Gabriel was practically twitching with anticipation, and flew to the door when it opened and Rob stepped in with a brown paper bag.

"Did you get them?!" Gabriel's eyes blazed as he kept his eyes on the bag.

Rob handed over the bag containing the tests, "Yes, I bought six."

"Six? I only asked for five."

"I got five for Kate… and one for you," he smirked.

Gabriel's eyes narrowed as his father's words sank in, "You're an ass, you know."

"I know. Who do you think you get it from?"

Without saying another word, Gabriel took Kate by the hand and pulled her into the bedroom, where he yanked out a test and handed it to her. He hoped she'd understand how important this was to him and wished with all his heart she's cooperate, "I'll wait right here."

Kate disappeared into the bathroom and shut the door. _He's very determined to get this baby, _she thought while hovering over the toilet bowl. She was somewhat embarrassed about peeing on a cheap piece of plastic.

The wait for his wife to return seemed like an eternity. Finally, she emerged from the bathroom looking slightly dejected. It was very clear the test came out negative. When Gabriel saw her expression he opened another test and slapped it into her hand.

"Gabriel, I can't go on peeing all night!" She said incredulously.

"That's okay. I can wait until you have to go again… or you can drink more water."

"I'm going to bed. If you want this test's results, then you pee on it and tell me how that works out for you," she pulled back the covers and slid under them on her side of the bed before covering up to her neck.

"Ooh, moodiness! That's a sign of pregnancy," Gabriel leaned over her body, the test still in his hand.

"Good night, Gabriel."

Around three in the morning Kate felt pressure being put on her bladder, a sign she needed to use the bathroom. She quietly got out of bed, careful not to wake Gabriel, and headed for the bathroom, but not before picking up the test and taking it with her. The cold bathroom made the urge to urinate greater. As she did her business an odd feeling crept into her mind. It was like her body was trying to tell her something. When she pulled back the test she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her; a small, red plus sign was visible in the test's window. _This is weird. The other one was negative._

Kate returned to the dark bedroom where Gabriel was still asleep. He'd wake up soon enough when she showed him the test's results, "Gabriel. Gabriel wake up!"

Her jostling aroused him from his sleep, and after rubbing his eyes, he noticed the pregnancy test and took it, "Kate, this says you're positive for pregnancy."

"Yeah, but the other one was negative."

"There's only one way to find out for sure," he set the device on the mahogany nightstand and pulled her down beside him, where he laid his hand over hers, "I'll have Mom take you to see her doctor as soon as we get back from the reenactment."

She thought about his proposal and remembered that her parents were coming down to see them, "Gabriel, my parents are going to be with us at Honey Springs, and my dad will know if I'm pregnant, because he's an OB/GYN. I don't want them to know yet."

"Just wear your crinoline and they won't have to know anything. Besides, it would be nice to surprise them," Gabriel tenderly kissed her lips before lying back down and drifting off to sleep.

On Friday afternoon, Gabriel was loading Bo and Yankee into the trailer when an unfamiliar SUV pulled up the driveway. At first he thought they were lost and asking for directions, but when the two stepped out of the vehicle a smile spread across his face.

"Hello, Gabriel. How have you been?" Champ inquired while inspecting the horses inside the trailer.

"Absolutely wonderful. Busy as usual," he latched the lock on the trailer door before turning to the house and yelling, "Kate! Bring your dresses out here so I can put them in the truck!"

The screen door flew open with a bang against the sideboards. A tall pile of dresses and underpinnings drifted over the grass and teetered several times on the way to the truck, "Gabriel, help me! Grab my pantalets, I'm losing them!" A voice from behind the pile pleaded.

"Is that my sweet baby girl?" Champ asked as he tried to see around the tall pile of garments.

Kate poked her head around her clothes, a surprised look on her face, "Daddy?" She thrust her dresses into Gabriel's arms before running over to her father and hugging him. It had seemed like ages since she had seen him last. "I've missed you so much. I hope you don't mind going with us to Oklahoma. This is something we've been looking forward to."

"Not at all, honey. Besides, maybe your mother will finally learn something useful… Like how to cook."

Rob and Mae showed up with the tent boxes and stakes, which were tied together with hemp ropes. The tent's ropes were inside the boxes with the tents. Apparently, the only thing left to load in the trucks were their uniforms, Charlie and Gabriel's sword. Rob put the boxes in the bed of his silver truck and turned to face the others, "I think we're just about ready, son. We just need to get the dog loaded in and… Oh, you must be Kate's parents. It's nice to finally meet you two. Kate has been such a joy to have around here," he said when he saw Champ and Cheer standing near the horse trailer.

"Yes, she has," Mae pulled the young woman against her side. "I love her to death, and she's really made a change in our Gabriel."

After laying the dresses across the back seat of his truck, Gabriel turned to Kate with his hands shoved into his pockets, "Would you be a sweetheart and get my sword so I can put it in the truck? And be careful! I don't want to have to pull that thing out of your skull."

Kate returned a few minutes later with the heavy sword held gently between her hands and handed it to her husband, who set it in the floorboard. Afterwards, he headed up to the house to lock the door. From this point on they would be living on the rolling land of northeastern Oklahoma, at least for the next three days, that is.

Soon after, all of them loaded into the trucks, with Kate's parents riding in Gabriel's truck since it had more room, especially since they had their baby daughter with them. At the moment she was napping in her carrier and didn't even stir when Gabriel fastened her into the back seat. From what the others had learned, Kate's younger sister, Jaycie, had stayed behind in Washington to spend time with a friend while their parents visited Kate's new family in Jefferson.

"She'll probably be asleep the entire drive up there, which gives us time to catch up," he carefully covered the baby up with her blanket and stroked her cheek. _Maybe I'll have a little girl like you, soon. _"So, are we ready to hit the road? We need to leave now so we can set up camp before it gets too dark."

His father walked over after checking on his horse, Yankee, "It's four o' clock now, so I'd wager we get there by ten."

"Right. Kate, that means no stopping to pee until we get there,"

She stared at her husband like he was crazy, "Gabriel! I can't hold it that long"

"Fine. We'll stop in Hugo," Gabriel opened the passenger door for Kate before going around to the driver's side and climbing in, "Hop in, you two, and make yourselves comfortable."

When they were driving through Paris, northern Texas, Champ leaned forward, resting his elbows on the front seats. He looked over at his daughter, who had her feet up on the dashboard, and cleared his throat, "How have you been, honey? It's been awhile."

"I've had the best time of my life. I love living here," she shifted positions, which caused her slightly rounded belly to stand out amongst the rest of her body. Now that her parents were with her, she could finally talk with her father about her situation. "Daddy, do home pregnancy tests ever tell the truth?"

"Sometimes, but the only way to be one hundred percent sure is to be tested by a doctor. How do you think your mother and I found out about Roxanne? She thought it was just the flu, and the test she took at home turned out negative. When she didn't get better we went to the doctor and found out she was pregnant. We were definitely not expecting that," Champ explained.

Gabriel chuckled, "That would be a 'whoops' moment."

"Exactly, Gabriel," he reached over to cover Roxanne's feet, which had slipped out from under her blanket. "Kate? Are you expecting? You're looking a little round."

His question startled Kate, and she started to blush a deep red, "Um, we're not sure. Both tests I've taken have read differently."

"I suggest you get tested as soon as possible," Champ cleared his throat, thinking of a way to get the answer to his next question without embarrassing her, "How long has it been since you and Gabriel, well, you know… Do you see where I'm going with this?"

"It's probably been a little over four months since then."

"Then I'd say there is a very high possibility of you being pregnant."

The sound of the tires hitting the small cracks in the road had a soothing quality to it as they drove over the border into the hilly landscape of Oklahoma. To the west, the sun was an orange globe, casting a magnificent sunset across the darkening sky. Several car lengths ahead of them, Rob's silver truck changed lanes, preparing to exit at the nearest off-ramp.

_I guess he's either taking the scenic route, or he's making a pit-stop, _Gabriel followed his father's lead and pulled off the interstate. Beside him in the passenger seat Kate, was methodically tapping her foot to the beat of the song playing on the radio while lip-syncing every word, "I'm going to take a guess and say you're bored."

She looked at him for a moment before replying, "How much farther do we have to go?"

"We're in Hugo and we have to go to Checotah, so I'd say another two hours tops."

"Great. I might as well sleep," she glanced back at her parents and rolled her eyes. "Mom's staring out the window while Dad's reading a medical book over birthing. It can't get any better than this," after slipping off her shoes, Kate leaned her seat back and shut her eyes. There was no use staring out the windshield at the taillights of cars passing by.

The next time Kate opened her eyes, Gabriel was pulling into a large field surrounded by trees. Up ahead of them she could see the silhouettes of tents set up all over the grounds. This had to be their camp, but how far were they from the battlefield? From what it looked like, they weren't the last ones to arrive considering she could see a truck about six cars ahead of them pulling a trailer with a cannon strapped to it.

"We're here, baby," Gabriel drove by a row of tents before backing up to an empty space between tents and stopping, "Would you help me set our tent up, and then we can have a look around."

It didn't take long for the tents to be staked into the ground and their belongings to be unloaded and put into the tents. After Gabriel parked his truck in the field designated for the re-enactors, he met up with Kate and her parents so they could explore the camps. They walked along Suttlers Row, heading east toward the Union camp until they camp to a tent tucked back in the bramble.

"Gabriel, where is the battlefield?" Kate questioned as she looked around at everything.

"We're walking on it. This field stretches for a mile to the north and across the road, but just a small section here is the battlefield protected by the Government," he explained, then stepped up to the tent and knocked on the frame. He smiled when a portly man wearing glasses poked his head out to see who needed his service, "Hello, Ole Sawbones. Have you been well?"

"Extremely. And what about you? It looks like you've found yourself a wife since the last time I saw you," the doctor replied when he spotted Kate standing under the tent fly.

When the older man mentioned Kate, it reminded Gabriel that he had forgotten to introduce the others, "I'm sorry. Kate, Champ, Cheer… This is Trevor. He's reenacting the doctor during the battles, but the funny thing is, he's a doctor in real life. So, you two can relate to him," he motioned toward Kate's parents.

_This is perfect! Maybe he can tell me if I'm pregnant, but I'll have to come by when Gabriel's not around, _Kate thought to herself as she shook the doctor's hand, "I'm happy to meet you, Trevor."

"And the same to you, my dear."

Long after most of the re-enactors had fallen asleep, the six of them, including Sean and Ava, who had joined them shortly after they returned from the doctor's tent, were sitting underneath the tent fly chatting. Kate got up after hearing her baby sister crying inside the tent and hurried to care for her. She came back carrying the distressed infant in her arms and sat down next to her husband, who watched them curiously with a bright twinkle in his eyes.

"Aw, is someone mad?" Gabriel leaned over and stroked the baby's forehead. "May I see her, honey?"

Kate relinquished her sister into her husband's care, "Good luck. She doesn't shut up for just anyone."

As soon as Roxanne was safely in Gabriel's arms, he started to softly bounce her in an attempt to dry her tears. The longer he held the baby, the more he felt a special bond forming between them. It almost felt a little fatherly, "Hey, sweetie. What are you crying for?" he nuzzled her cheek affectionately, savoring the softness of her skin against his.

Meanwhile, the others were watching the display attentively before Cheer leaned over toward her daughter and whispered, "He's going to be wonderful father when you two have a baby. You can just tell."

"I know. That's why I'm eager to find out if I'm pregnant," Kate agreed; she enjoyed watching her husband care for her sister in that it gave her some comfort knowing how he'd behave around a baby of their own. _Please, God. Let me give him this child._


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

The sound of metal pots and pans banging into each other rang through the camp early the next morning, waking Kate from a peaceful sleep. She stretched her arms and legs before stepping out into the chilly morning air. To the east, the new sun was just rising over the treetops, flooding the camps with a buttery light. As she made her way down the row of tents, she found her father preparing breakfast with Mae and some of the other cavalrymen's wives. He looked up and smiled warmly when he heard his daughter approach.

"Good morning, sweetheart. You're up early."

Kate suppressed a yawn, "I'm used to it."

"You just missed Gabriel. He and the others are already on the battlefield. I think they're going over plans for today's battle."

"Figures. I wouldn't expect them back for an hour or so."

About an hour before the battle was supposed to begin, Kate snuck off in the direction of the medical tent, hoping no one would see her. She had every intention of solving their mystery of if she was truly pregnant. When she arrived at the tent, she found Trevor sitting on a wooden stool sorting an assortment of bottles, but he looked up and smiled after hearing her approach.

"Well, now. What can I do for you, my dear Kate? Shouldn't you be off with the other ladies getting ready for the battle?" He replied.

A flicker of hope shone on her face, "I've got a favor to ask of you, and I believe you'll be able to help me."

Gabriel stood on the plank bridge that stretched across a stream, assessing how he would move his unit over the battlefield and still be a safe distance from the cannon fire. He was just about to head back to the cavalrymen waiting in the thick line of trees and bushes when he noticed that his sword wasn't on him.

_I must have left it back at camp, _he thought as he passed his father, who was already seated on Yankee's back. "I've got to get my sword."

"There's no time, Gabriel. We've got to get out there… So, mount up," Rob was stern when he spoke, as if he should be the colonel.

Without arguing, and without his sword, Gabriel swiftly climbed into his saddle and led the 1st Texas Cavalry onto the battlefield. He stopped beyond a cluster of trees, signifying to the others that they should do the same. His heart pounded in his chest just as it always did right before a battle, but without his sword on his hip he felt, in a sense, naked. As he looked ahead, the gleam of the Union cannons caught his eye; he was sure of an impending battle on the horizon.

Just as the first Confederate cannon was about to fire, a loud murmur rose over the field, catching Gabriel's attention. When he turned around in the saddle, the sight of Kate running over the bridge with her skirts hitched up left him flabbergasted and partly curious as to why she was acting so stupidly by running into the middle of a battle, but that wasn't what surprised him; he noticed his sword held firmly in her hands as she ran over to him.

"Kate, what are you doing?! This is dangerous for you to be out here," Gabriel said a little too sharply.

She had to catch her breath before speaking, "You forgot your sword… and… I thought… I'd bring it… to you," once she could breathe again, she straightened and handed him his sword.

"Well, thank you. I really appreciate it. Now, you better head over to where the others are sitting. People are starting to stare, especially that damn Yankee captain… Yeah, I see you, buddy!"

"Wait, Gabriel. I have something I need to tell you."

When he saw the pleading look in her pale blue eyes he realized it had to be important, so he dismounted from Bo and stood in front of her with a smile glowing, "What is it, baby?"

Kate gently took his hands in hers, gazing into his eyes the entire time, and then she brought them up to her lips before placing them on her belly, "I'm carrying your baby, Gabriel… I'm pregnant."

It was a few seconds before the truth sank in. After thinking about it, he was finally able to speak, "Are you for sure?"

"Yes, Trevor confirmed it just a little while ago," a wide smile spread across her face as she squeezed his hands in hers. "You're going to be a daddy, Gabriel."

That was all he needed to hear. The next events seemed to happen in a rush. Gabriel pulled his wife against his body and passionately kissed her for what seemed like an unimaginable amount of time before pulling away while his hand lingered on her cheek, "I love you, Kate. You have no idea how wonderful this is to hear."

"I can't wait to see our baby," Kate glanced around the battlefield, seeing every eye on them. "Well, you better get back on Bo. I'm sorry for interrupting the battle."

After mounting back in the saddle, Gabriel released her hand, "There's nothing to be sorry for. I needed to hear that," he chuckled. "Leave it to you to stop a war."

Once the battle had begun, Kate joined her family on the sidelines in order to get a good view of the action at hand. An explosion from the large Blakely cannon nearest the spectators shook the earth with great force, making Kate cover her ears on instinct. When she looked up, Gabriel was rallying his men in the middle of the field for a charge upon the Union infantry. She could see him whip out his sword before pushing Bo into a gallop down the battlefield. He looked so valiant and heroic as they flew over the ground toward the Union lines positioned on the top of the rise.

Champ leaned over to his daughter and said, "I can see why they made him the colonel. He looks so robust when he rides."

"I know," Kate turned back to the action just in time to see Gabriel and Bo go down after being 'shot'. By now, she expected this to happen and no longer panicked when they fell.

All too soon the battle came to an end after the Union troops pushed the Confederates back and surrounded them in the trees. It had been an amazing show of events, and received a roar of applause from the spectators.

Kate hurried over to greet her husband after he rode off the battlefield, but she noticed that he didn't look himself. In fact, it looked as if he was in pain, "Gabriel, honey… Are you all right?"

He winced when he dismounted and stood beside Bo, "When I fell out there I landed on a jagged tree branch, and I think I messed my ankle up."

"Oh, no. That means you won't be able to dance, tonight."

"I'm still going to dance. It's going to take more than that to keep me from dancing with my girl. All I need to do is keep ice on it," he slipped his arm around her waist, thinking about what was to come in a few short months. A feeling of nervousness swept over him as memories of the horrible tragedy with Susan and the baby flooded back in a rush. _Please, God, don't let anything happen to them. Keep them safe,_ "Are you ready to head back to camp? We've still got a few hours until the dance. I figured you ladies would want to go browse around the suttlery… and spend all of my money."

Kate playfully smacked his shoulder, "Like I would do that. Besides, I don't even know if there's anything I need to buy."

"I'm sure you'll find something."

After arriving back at their camp, Kate helped her husband get situated in a chair, and then she put together an ice pack to put on his hurt ankle. Hopefully there wouldn't be any swelling and he'd be able to stand on it in a few hours when it was time for the ball.

"Kate, don't worry about me. You just go and have a great time with the other women," he saw Kate's mother pass by with little Roxanne clinging to her. "And I'll watch this little cutie so you don't have to carry her around all over the place."

Cheer was shocked by Gabriel's generous offer and stopped in front of him, "Oh, she's a handful, Gabriel. Are you sure you want to watch her?"

"I'd love to. Besides, I need the practice, you know?" Gabriel gently took the baby and set her on his lap. He bent over and pressed his lips against her temple.

"That's right. It's great to get all the practice you can," she joined her daughter by Mae's tent, where she was helping the purple bear tie back the tent flaps. "Well, I think we'll be off. If you have any problems Champ said he was going to be over at the artillery camp… However, you probably won't be able to move with your hurt ankle."

The camp was quiet after the women left, allowing Gabriel precious time to spend with the baby. He smiled when he felt her wrap her tiny fingers around his before holding her small body close to his. Nothing in the world could ruin the moment. _I hope that I'll have a little girl. Especially like you. _Thoughts of his pregnant wife filled his head. How would she act during her pregnancy? Would she get extremely emotional? How easy would the birth be for her?

Around six that evening Kate was busy dressing for the ball while her husband talked with some of the other men down at the tent where the ball would take place; he had already put on his dress uniform and decided to catch up on the happenings at the other camps. She had a brand new ball gown made; a bright scarlet two-piece gown with a layer of matching sheer crepe trimmed in gold fringe draped over the skirt. Once the gown was situated on her slender body, Mae straightened out the small train in the back before lacing up the bodice of the dress, which was an off-the-shoulder design.

"I think this is your most beautiful dress, yet," Mae commented as she wove bunches of small flowers into Kate's tight curls that Beth had just finished setting. "Not to mention, it looks even more gorgeous with your adorable baby bump."

The younger woman gasped from the tightness of the corset, "I won't be able to wear this darned corset for much longer… Thankfully."

Ava appeared already dressed in her green gown, and presented Kate with a golden necklace in which some would find gaudy, but it was perfect for the royal look they were trying to achieve. When fastened around her neck, it drew the eye to her bosoms, "Kate, you look like a queen. I think it's time we met up with the men now that you're ready."

The sky was dark with the moon casting a glow on the ground. It was the perfect setting for the ball, or a night of romance. Down the hill they could see hundreds of candles illuminating the inside of the tent which was surrounded by chairs set up along the outside edge. People were already gathering, but many were still meeting up with their sweethearts before heading to the ball.

While Kate carefully picked her way through the grass so as not to catch the hem of her gown on a bit of scrub, the form of her husband drew himself up next to her and took her hand in his. She could feel him slip his arm around her waist and give her a squeeze.

"You look so beautiful, honey. Are you ready to make some jaws drop?" Gabriel's voice was sweet, more so than usual. Every time he saw her out of the corner of his eye his heart beat more rapidly, sending powerful messages to his head.

"Most definitely," she replied.

Many couples were walking around, conversing with friends while the band warmed up at the front of the tent. It looked as if the ball was going to be very exciting. At a closer glance, Gabriel and Kate saw Champ and Cheer talking with the artillery commander. It appeared that they hadn't noticed the two of them, but then again, Gabriel and Kate saw Champ and Cheer talking with the artillery commander. It appeared that they hadn't noticed the two of them, but then again, they were in the shadows.

Come on," he pulled her along toward the tent where the dance was being held.

All of a sudden the crowd became quiet when the dance master called out, "May I get everyone's attention, please? I'd like to announce that the best cavalry colonel I've seen in years has just arrived. Everyone… Colonel Gabriel Dawson and his gorgeous wife, Kate!"

All of the men and women turned around to see the two who were standing at the entrance of the tent, looking rather surprised. Kate blushed a bright pink color while Gabriel just shrugged his shoulders sheepishly and held his wife's hand.

The dance master spoke once more, "And, as I've learned a short while ago, they are expecting their first baby. Congratulations!" She paused as the crowd started applauding. "Now, would you two do the honors and open this ball with a dance?"

An aisle was made for them to walk to the center of the tent, and everyone became silent, eager to see the waltz that was about to happen. When the music began, Gabriel recognized it to be an old Irish song, and it happened to be his favorite. He watched Kate's expression closely, seeing that she was nervous about being put on the spot.

"Hey, don't be scared. Just listen to the music and follow my lead," Gabriel whispered in an effort to calm her nerves. He gently placed his right hand on the small of her back, and took her free hand into his left. A smile came to his face when he saw her pick the bottom of her skirt off of the ground so that she wouldn't trip on it while they were dancing.

The beat of the music changed as the two moved as one over the grass, appearing to glide effortlessly. Every once in a while Gabriel would spin her out away from him and bring her right back in while they swayed to the music. Their waltz was just as beautiful as the music, almost enchanting. Whenever the music changed rhythm, so did their steps. The spectators watched, awestruck by the way Kate moved lightly on her feet, her skirt hem flaring out every time she twirled.

Eventually, the sweet, happy rhythm dwindled, but burst forth with a faster, more lively rhythm. At this point, more couples joined Kate and Gabriel in a faster dance known as a polka. Kate found this style to be very jerky and a little absurd until she found her footing and understood the movements and steps.

"You dance wonderfully, Kate. I'm very impressed," Gabriel commented at the end of the dance. He noticed his wife's chest heaving while she tried to catch her breath. "Are you ready for the next dance? I have a hunch it's going to be 'The Schottische', the lovers dance."

"I think I need to sit down before I collapse," she gasped before heading over to a chair.

"I'll get you something to drink," and with that, he disappeared, leaving Kate to rest. It wasn't long before he returned with a cup and handed it to her.

Kate was grateful to receive the drink and swallowed a large mouthful, but she immediately started coughing and gagging, "Good Lord! What kind of drink is this?! It tastes terrible!"

Her husband started laughing before taking the cup and gulping down the rest of the liquid, "It's whisky."

She stared at him like he was insane, unsure of what to say, "What?!"

"Has a nice kick, doesn't it?" after receiving her 'death' glare, Gabriel handed her a bottle of water and sat down next to her. He watched the other couples, including his parents, continue dancing. He then turned to Kate, who was fanning herself with a wooden fan. "Do you want to go for a walk?"

"Sure."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Kate and Gabriel strolled through the camp grounds arm in arm. The sound of the ball faded into the distance as they headed east toward the Yankee camp, but at the last minute they turned to go to the battlefield. A dirt path wound its way through the thick trees until it opened up onto the sacred field, which stood silent and desolate as it did after the carnage ended a hundred and fifty years earlier. Nevertheless, it was perfect for a couple who wanted to get away from the world for a while.

"Can you believe we're actually walking on hallowed ground? Just think, we could be stepping on the same place where someone became the victim of the bullet or possibly even cannon shell," Gabriel broke the silence as they picked their way over the scrub.

"Those poor men who lost their lives, and all for a stupid cause," she mused to herself.

"Brother against brother," he slipped his arm around her waist as they continued to walk over the battlefield.

"Did you know that more people lost their lives in this war than any other? And many of them were Irish. It just goes to show how many people it affected."

A few minutes later Kate gasped, catching her husband's attention. When he looked over to see what the matter was, he saw her caressing her belly with a startled look on her face, "Kate, what's wrong?"

"I-I think I felt the baby move," her voice changed to show her excitement.

Gabriel started to lay his hand on her stomach, only he stopped, unsure if she'd be comfortable with him touching her, "May I?"

"Of course, honey. This is your baby, too."

He moved closer to her, lightly placing his hand on her belly. It wasn't long before his face lit up with joy after feeling a small bump against his palm. Now he was sure he was going to be a father in a few, short months, "Did you feel that?"

"Yes," a warm smile spread across her face. "It feels like little flutters."

Gabriel looked up from where his hand lay after seeing her place her own over his, "I knew there was a reason for your belly getting bigger… and rounder," he stared into her pale eyes before tenderly kissing her lips, imagining what their lives would be like once their baby arrived. _No matter how many times the baby cries I'm going to be there to help my wife. _"You look so beautiful, honey. I'm always surprised by what you're going to look like. I love this look, it's so extravagant. It's almost killing me."

"Gabriel, I'm just trying to fit in with everyone else," she commented.

He chuckled after hearing her comment, "I think you've surpassed that. The only women who could've afforded a dress like that would have been married to a wealthy plantation owner."

"Well, apparently that's not a problem for us. Plus, I hope you know that I was the one who bought this dress."

"Honey, it doesn't matter how much it cost or who bought it. If you're happy, I'm happy."

A noise from behind caught them by surprise, making Kate jump. The dark form of Sean loomed a few yards away until he stepped into the moonlight and swiftly strode over to his friend. He looked as if he had had one too many dances, but maybe it was just the way he was standing, "And what are you two doing? Sneaking off to go make out on the other side of that hill? Very classy," Sean cleared his throat, shifting his weight onto his right leg. "Anyway, I wasn't the one who tipped them off about you being pregnant. By the way, congratulations!"

"Oh, we don't mind if they know," Gabriel replied.

"Well, I just wanted to make sure," he sighed. "So, what are you two doing?"

"Feeling the baby move," Gabriel gently ran his hand over his wife's belly, pulling back in surprise. "Now it's kicking!" He turned to Kate, who watched him curiously with a wry grin on her face. "Doesn't that hurt you?"

She placed her hands on her hips before replying, "No. It's comforting. It feels like I'm getting a massage."

"Okay. I'll have to take your word for it."

Later on during the night, the three of them were walking through the camps, aware of the Union cavalrymen staring at them, especially Gabriel, but they dismissed them and moved on through the camp with Gabriel in front of Kate as if he was trying to protect her. A few times they received rude comments from a Union officer, but some of the men gave words of congratulations and wanted to meet Kate. One young infantryman offered words of advice on parenting for the soon-to-be parents.

"Why is everyone so interested in us having a baby? I'm just pregnant, it's not like I'm having a whale," Kate said with her hand resting on her belly.

Gabriel sighed, "It's because this is our first baby… and ever since Susan and the baby died they've been wondering when I'd have another baby, well, not me personally, but you get what I'm meaning. They think I might have committed suicide."

"You're crazy enough to do something like that," Sean joked, and ducked to keep from getting hit by Gabriel's hand.

Kate listened intently to her husband's explanation, thinking about how much their lives would change once the baby arrived, but then other questions filled her head, _Where is the baby going to sleep? Who's going to get up with it at night? What are we going to do about reenactments? _"Basically they're happy I'm pregnant for your sake?"

"Yes… and others just think you're a whore."

"What?!"

"Just kidding," he laughed, wrapping his arm around her. "But they are relieved you're pregnant."

Sean trotted along beside Gabriel and Kate while they made their way to the suttlery since they were still open, "How long until you pop the little sucker out, Kate? You're looking pretty big as we speak, but then again, I do recall Susan resembling a balloon with arms and legs," he turned to face his best friend. "Gabriel, what is it with you and getting your wives pregnant with giant kids? Are you that great of a lover?"

"What can I say? The bigger, the better," Gabriel smirked.

"Boy, isn't that the truth? Or in other terms… you're a man-whore!"

"I guess I just have a thing for sexy women," he leaned over and kissed Kate's cheek.

"Don't we all."

Most of the 1st Texas Cavalry was sitting around their campfire by the time the three of them arrived, feeling relaxed. Apparently they had started making dinner for everyone before it was time to tell stories and jokes. Kate disappeared into the tent to change, and returned five minutes later to find Gabriel sitting backwards in a chair with his chin resting on his hands; he hadn't even bothered to change.

"Aren't you going to change, honey?" She questioned.

Gabriel leaned back, unbuttoning his jacket, and pulled it off before tossing it into the tent. Afterwards, the suspenders and shirt suffered the same fate. The upside of his undressing in front of everyone revealed his perfect upper body to the fullest, "Better?"

"Oh, yeah!"

All of them turned to see Cheer staring, her mouth agape. The unexpected act must have struck her fancy, for she kept a watchful eye on Gabriel as if he'd remove the rest of his clothing next. Eventually, a smile crept across her face at the sight of her daughter cuddling up to his body and resting her head on his shoulder. She was happy to see her with the man she loved, and hoped they'd have a wonderful family of their own.

Gabriel, what are you hoping your baby is?" Cheer questioned.

His face brightened upon hearing her question, "A girl," he wrapped an arm around Kate's shoulders, pulling her closer. "I've always wanted a baby girl, but even more so after I lost my first one before she was born… including my wife. That's why I'm praying Kate's pregnant with a girl."

Kate's parents appeared shocked from hearing about Gabriel's tragedy, and how lucky it was for him to have found their daughter. If anything, they hoped the pregnancy would go over well and they'd end up with a healthy baby.

"My gosh, Gabriel. No wonder you're determined to have a little one. I can't even imagine what you went through," Champ commented while leaning back in his chair. "How did you handle it?"

"It wasn't easy. I almost didn't make it," he laid his cheek against Kate's, taking in the warmth emanating from her. His hand drifted down her side to rest lightly on her belly, where he thought he felt tiny movements against his palm. It brought a relaxed sensation over his entire body, and he leaned closer to her and whispered, "The baby's moving."

Kate instinctively brought her hand down, covering his, and gently squeezed it. She could faintly feel flutters around her belly, bringing a smile to her face, "I wonder if the baby can hear us talking?"

"Maybe," an idea entered his mind. "Hey, I want to test something. Eat something really sweet."

Without questioning him, Kate opened the Snickers she had hidden in her bra, grimacing at how flat it had gotten, and took a large bite. After swallowing, she waited to see what would happen. It wasn't long before she found out; a sharp kick to her lower belly caused her to wrench away, "Dang!"

Sean started laughing, "Looks like you've got a kicker, Kate. I wouldn't be eating too many sweets if I were you."

"Well, now Gabriel knows what will happen," she rubbed her belly as if to rub away the pain. _This is going to be a feisty little one. I'll have lay off the sweets until after it's born. _The little flutters continued for a few more minutes until they diminished and she was able to relax.

Gabriel tenderly placed his hand on her head as she lay against him, burying her face in his chest. The sound of his heartbeat had a calming effect on her, and it wasn't long before she was sound asleep, curled up on his lap with his arms wrapped around her.

"She's asleep," he whispered so as not to wake her. "Do you think I should go and lay her down on the cot?"

"Poor baby. Yes, she needs to rest," Mae commented after seeing the slumbering woman.

_Well, she does need to get all the rest she can, _he thought while walking toward their tent with Kate nestled in his arms. He pulled back the tent flap before stepping into the canvas structure and carefully laying his wife on her cot, trying not to wake her as he covered her with a wool blanket.

"Gabriel? What are you doing?" Kate whispered as she sat up.

He turned back around, a small smile peeking out from the corners of his mouth, "Shh… Go back to sleep, honey. You need to get some rest so you'll have plenty of strength to carry the baby."

When he mentioned their baby, Kate's hand drifted down to her belly, where it rested on the underneath side, "I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me."

"It's my job to keep you well. That and you're in a delicate condition," Gabriel leaned over and tenderly kissed her lips. "Now close your eyes."

"Stay with me, Gabriel. It's cold in here, and I want you to keep me warm," she pleaded, her pale eyes resembling those of a puppy.

He watched her intently, considering her plea. She did look cold, so why not take a break and spend time with his wife? It wasn't like he was going to do anything, anyway. Besides, this would be precious time with her, "Alright, honey," the temptation was too great for him not to refuse, and he wanted Kate to be happy. After closing and tying up the tent flaps, Gabriel pulled back the blanket and slid in next to her. Thankfully there was enough room for them on the cot, but only if they were right against one another.

Kate snuggled closely, burying her face in his chest. It wasn't long before she felt Gabriel lay his hand on her belly, "What are you doing, Gabe? The baby's not moving right now."

"I know. It's just comforting to feel the results of our love," Gabriel kissed her lips lovingly, thinking about the night their baby had been conceived; his mother had been right just as she always was. That night had been absolutely wonderful in that he learned more about his wife than he had before. "Tell me, honey, what does it feel like to be pregnant?"

She was surprised by his question, but wanted to share this experience with him. Her first pregnancy was something for both of them to experience, and she wanted him to be involved in every way possible even though he wasn't the one carrying their baby, "Well, once you know that you're pregnant your whole attitude changes, and you become more protective. I already feel like a mother even though I just found out. You have no idea what it's like being pregnant."

"No, I don't. That's why I'm asking you," his eyes glistened in the faint light. "What does it physically feel like?"

"Right now, all that I can feel are little flutters moving around my belly. Sometimes they tickle," she sighed. "But I could do without having to pee every thirty minutes. Oh, if only you could experience this."

"I don't think I could handle the birth," an image popped into his head, making him cringe. "How do you women stand all of that pain?"

"We know we have to get the baby out, so we suck it up."

The tent was silent for a few minutes while the two of them lay there, gazing into each other's eyes. Gabriel moved his hand to the side of her belly and smiled when he felt a small nudge. He closed his eyes, imagining what it would be like once the baby arrived into the world. The next thing he knew, Kate had laid her hand on his chest and wrapped his arm around her.

"I love you, Gabriel," She whispered.

"I love you, too… with all my heart."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

The chilly morning air bit at Kate's skin when she awoke to the sound of voices outside the tent. At first, she dismissed the noise, but then the tent flaps flew open, ripping the ties from the canvas. A tall, broad shouldered man dressed in a long officer's coat and gray pants tramped in with rage in his eyes.

"GABRIEL! Get your ass out of that bed this instant!" He roared, rousing Gabriel from his deep sleep.

The younger man flipped over to see who was yelling at him after being rudely awoken. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust, "Technically, it's a cot…"

"Shut the hell up!" The officer turned and started to exit the tent. "Since you like being a smartass, you can run some drills."

"When Hell freezes over!" Gabriel shot back.

After the older man stormed out, Kate looked over to see her husband cringe. She wondered who that man was, and why he would barge into their tent uninvited. The next thing that registered was her husband swinging his legs over the side of his cot and pulling out his uniform so he could start dressing.

"I probably shouldn't have said that."

"Who was that?" She inquired.

As Gabriel hurriedly dressed in his uniform he replied, "The General."

Kate tried to contain her laughter when she spoke, "Yeah, that was definitely the wrong thing to say."

By the time the two of them were fully dressed and outside in the bright sunshine, the entire 1st Texas Cavalry was waiting on their colonel, who was pulling back his long hair into a ponytail just as he always did. Some of them seemed annoyed by the way they rolled their eyes or glared.

"Well, looks like Gabriel decided he'd sleep in this morning," Sean commented with a smirk on his face. "Or was he too busy pleasuring himself with his wife?"

"Don't start with me, Sean," Gabriel growled as he untied Bo from the lead line that was tied between two trees. "That damn general of ours already pissed me off."

"Sorry," Sean apologized before changing the subject. "So, how's Kate this fine morning? She looks like she's in a good mood."

Gabriel shrugged his shoulders, and then set his saddle on Bo's back, "She's fine. The baby was moving around earlier, but other than that, she's doing great," he chuckled. "Boy, she was definitely snoring last night. I'm surprised she didn't wake the camp."

Once Gabriel was situated in the saddle, he commanded his unit to follow him to the battlefield, where they would go over and rehearse that day's battle. They trotted past the different camps until they turned onto the dirt path and disappeared behind the line of trees, leaving the women to look after the camp.

_Well, looks like we ladies get time to ourselves for a while, _Kate thought as she tied back the tent flaps after repairing the rips in the canvas made by the angry general. She saw Mae, Cheer and Ava knitting while gossiping with each other; well, Cheer was trying to learn how to knit, and then a strange movement out of the corner of her eye caught Kate's attention. Up ahead she could see a re-enactor dressed in the Union uniform. He seemed to be watching their camp intently as if he was scoping it out. The suspicious behavior made her a little weary. _Who is he, and why does he keep looking over here like a hawk eyeing its prey?_

"Kate? Why don't you come over here and sit?" Mae called happily. "I'll teach you how to knit."

The young woman was almost reluctant to turn away, but she decided it was best to forget about the strange sighting. She walked over to where the others were and sat down before picking up a pair of knitting needles and a skein of pink yarn, "Sorry, something caught my attention."

"That's okay," Mae finished a row and started the next. "Is our little one moving?"

"Not at the moment. Oh-," Kate gasped, and laid her hand on her belly. "I take that back."

Mae's eyes widened in excitement, "Ooh, let me feel! Gabriel's had all the fun so far. Now it's my turn to enjoy your pregnancy."

_I'm so happy that Mae is finally going to be a grandmother. She's been waiting such a long time, _Kate thought while watching her mother in law. Oh, how wonderful her life was going to be whenthe baby was born.

Thirty minutes later, the women were getting ready to head over to the battlefield, but Kate found herself watching the same mysterious man she had seen earlier. Now, he was standing near the path leading to the battlefield. At first she thought he was just a normal re-enactor, but at that moment their eyes met and she recognized him, _Oh, no! Nick's going to go after Gabriel! I've got to stop him… but how?_ An idea popped into her head as she ran back to the camp and into the tent. She rummaged around until she found her husband's extra Confederate uniform. After yanking off her dress and underpinnings, Kate hurriedly wrapped a bandage around her breasts to disguise her womanhood before pulling on the cotton shirt and the rest of the uniform.

"Kate, are you ready to go?" Mae's voice called from outside the tent.

"Uh, I'll meet you there!" She answered and went back to pulling on her boots. _I need to hurry! _The anxiety she felt was coursing throughout her body as she put her hair up in a bun and pulled Gabriel's gray and yellow kepi over it. By now she was ready, but there was one other item she needed, and she found it lying underneath Gabriel's cot, _I wonder if Gabriel forgot his pistol? Well, it's going to help me, today._

Their camp was empty when Kate walked out into the sunshine. All she needed to do now was find a horse, but that wasn't hard since she found Ava's paint, Belle, tied up to the line, "Easy girl. I need you to help me, today," she quickly mounted up and pushed the horse into a gallop toward the battlefield, her heart pounding in her chest when she heard the first cannon fire and the gunshots that followed. "Come on! We've got to hurry!"

The 1st Texas Cavalry was already moving out over the battlefield with Gabriel a few yards ahead of the others, when Kate and Belle skidded to a stop behind a line of trees. Her eyes searched the chaos until they fell on a lone figure galloping right towards Gabriel, and it was apparent that he didn't recognize the enemy. _Nick!_ At a closer glance she noticed the Colt revolver being raised up to aim at Gabriel. Instinct told her the gun was loaded with real bullets instead of blanks, "Let's go, Belle! Yah!"

Belle raced toward the danger with Kate reaching for the pistol while holding onto the reins with her free hand. They were going to intercept the two men before Nick had a clear shot at her husband. _I know I'm being stupid, but I don't want my husband killed!_

As they neared Gabriel, Kate saw the rest of the cavalry stop in their tracks and stare, but Kate and Belle continued on, closing the gap. When she judged that Nick was less than ten yards away, he aimed the gun at his chest and fired, but the pistol jerked to the right and the bullet pierced his left bicep, causing him to yell in pain. "Dammit!" She raced right for Gabriel now that she had bought him some time, but Nick was heading right for him, his gun raised. _Please, let this work! _A few seconds later, she and Belle crashed right into Gabriel and Bo, knocking all four of them to the ground in a tangle of legs and bodies just as a bullet zipped past.

The spectators gasped in horror after realizing that what they had just witnessed was not part of the reenactment, but an attempted murder. Mae nearly had a heart attack when she saw her only son's life in danger. Ava and Cheer had to fan her to keep her from fainting, but she insisted on sitting up to see what was happening out on the battlefield.

Back on the battlefield, Gabriel freed his legs from underneath Bo with Kate still lying on top of him, "What the hell do you think you're doing, you bastard!" He snarled, staring into the other person's eyes. It wasn't long before he recognized whose pale blue eyes they were, "Kate? Oh, my God. I'm so sorry, but what are you doing?"

"Returning the favor of saving my life," she explained while trying to catch her breath "That was Nick, and he was going to kill you. Not to mention, you forgot your pistol which wouldn't have helped you."

Her words sank in, making him realize how close he was to losing everything. It wasn't until a few seconds later that he remembered the helpless life growing inside Kate, "Are you okay? You're so stupid! Do you realize that you put your life and the baby's in danger?"

"I know, but I wasn't going to let him kill you. I need you."

A noise behind them caught their attention, and when they sat up to see where it was coming from, Nick was standing nearby, his face one of rage with the revolver clenched tightly in his hand. A stream of blood ran down his arm from where Kate had shot him, "So, who do you think you are? Did you really think you could save him? Stand up so I can see who I'll be killing."

The anger coursing throughout Kate forced her to stand up, despite Gabriel's pleas. She stepped forward in front of Nick before removing the kepi and pulling out the bun, letting her hair fall down her around them gasped in shock. They couldn't believe Kate was the one who had crashed into Gabriel and shot Nick, especially when she was pregnant. The three of them stood staring each other down, waiting for one of them to make a move.

"I can't believe this" Nick started to laugh. "And I thought Gabriel was a pain in my ass. It looks like his wife is just as stupid and annoying. Apparently he's rubbed off onto you. What do you plan on doing?"

"Move closer and I'll show you," Kate said through gritted teeth.

Nick took a step forward, but froze when he was staring down the barrel of the pistol, "Really? You're going to shoot me?"

"Any last words," her finger inched toward the trigger, ready to pull it.

"Oh, shit."

She pulled back the hammer with her thumb, a sneer shining, "That's right."

All of sudden Nick fell forward, leaving Kate stunned; she was positive she hadn't pulled the trigger, but that's when she saw Sean standing in front of her with a large branch in his hand. From what she gathered, he had come to the rescue and knocked him in the back of the head.

"Man, I hate that bastard!" He commented and dropped the branch.

Kate put the pistol back in its holster and straightened, "Well, thank you, Sean."

"My pleasure."

After Nick had been escorted away by the police, Gabriel was calmed down by his best friend and he attempted to brush the grass and dirt off of his uniform, and then he walked over to Kate, who was being fussed over by Mae and her mother. She looked as if she was being overwhelmed by the constant attention, and needed someone to rescue her.

"Hey, are you sure you're okay, honey?" He questioned.

She rolled her eyes and sighed in exasperation, "For the last time, yes. Please stop worrying. The baby's fine," _But I can't feel it moving. I hope nothing happened to it. _"I'm positive," a relieved feeling washed over her once she felt a little flutter tickle her belly. _Oh, thank God. _ _I guess the baby was just sleeping._

"Alright. Now, what do we do? The battle's been ruined, but I guess it did seem like the real thing."

"I'm going back to camp and then I'm going to rub cocoa butter on my belly to prevent stretch marks. After that I think I'll hang out with Ava," Kate rambled on while heading toward the camp right behind Sean's girlfriend. "Wait up, girl! I'm pregnant, remember?"

"What are you going to be doing?"

The two women exchanged glances before Ava answered, "Do you feel like going to a dance club? I know Sean would-."

"Did you say 'dance club'?" Sean showed up, an eager expression on his face.

"See?"

Gabriel sat at the bar with Sean, who was working on his third apple martini, watching his wife and Ava dance among the other people. When he looked back at Sean, he had his head tilted back, trying to get the last drop of the martini out of the glass.

"Sean, I'm not busting you out of jail, again. So take it easy on the alcohol," Gabriel commented.

His friend set the glass down before replying, "It's not every day I get one of these."

"You've had three, already… and on that same note, why are you drinking bitch beer?!"

The women showed up at that moment, Kate looking rather large, but perhaps it was from the tight-fitting shirt and mini skirt she was wearing. They sat down on the stools next to the boys and ordered two margaritas, much to Gabriel's surprise. It was obvious that he wasn't expecting them to do something so scandalous.

"What? Just because I don't care for hard liquor, like that whisky doesn't mean I don't like to indulge every now and then," Kate explained when the mixed drink was put in front of her.

"Is that wise to be doing while you're pregnant?" He questioned with his eyebrow cocked.

Her face fell, "Oh… Right," she turned to face Sean. "Do you want it?"

Gabriel quickly intervened by taking the margarita and downing it before his friend could get his hands on it, "That's not such a good idea, Kate. You don't know Sean like I do."

A little while later Kate managed to drag her husband onto the dance floor, but he was very reluctant about it. He could feel other eyes on him, making him all the more nervous to be out in the open where he was exposed. He would rather just sit back and watch, but that wasn't going to happen.

"Kate, people are watching."

"That's because they've probably never seen a sexy, Irish male before," she got behind him and pushed. "Just dance."

It wasn't long before Kate had to go back to camp since she was starting to get sick, again, from her pregnancy. Hopefully that part wouldn't last long, and she'd actually get to enjoy the moments before their baby was born. She couldn't believe that she was going to be a mother with Gabriel there to help her every step of the way.

_The only thing I'm scared of is how much pain I'm going to be in during the birth, _she thought as Gabriel drove back to the battlefield with the other two in the back seat. When she saw Gabriel out of the corner of her eye he seemed to be thinking about something, for he never moved an inch, except for the slight movements of the steering wheel. "Gabriel, I'm sorry I've been such a burden, what with my getting sick… and making those stupid choices. I just didn't want anything to happen to you."

He looked over at her with a confused look on his face, "Honey, you aren't a burden. Don't even think that for a minute. I understand that sickness comes with pregnancy, and I'm going to be there with you through the good and the bad," he took her hand in his and squeezed it. "And we all make stupid decisions, but we learn from them. Believe me; I've made my fair share. You know, you're so much like Susan. I swear you two could be sisters."

"The only reason I do the things I do is to be the perfect wife. I want you to have what you lost, and that includes this baby," Kate sighed heavily. "I don't want anything to happen to her."

"_Her_?"

"I have a very strong feeling in the pit of my stomach that our baby is a girl. Call it a woman's instinct."

"Was it a woman's instinct to pull my pistol on Nick and shoot him?" Gabriel inquired.

Kate laughed until her belly hurt, "No that was just one pissed off woman who was fed up with his bullshit."

"Amen to that!" Sean put in.

Most of their camp was already in their tents, asleep, when they returned, except for Kate and Gabriel's parents, who were sitting around the fire talking. Her father smiled warmly after seeing them enter the camp, but he became concerned at the sight of his daughter. It looked as if she were ill by her pale complexion.

"Kate, are you feeling all right? You don't look so great," he questioned.

She moved past him, her head down, "Not really. I got sick, again. How long before it goes away?"

"Not long. Just try not to think about it."

"Right."


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Bright and early the next morning Gabriel and the other men hastily brought down the tents and folded them into neat, tightly-packed squares before storing them in the wooden crates along with the stakes. They wanted to be on the road as soon as possible so they would have time to enjoy the beautiful day when they arrived home and unpacked everything.

While Gabriel was putting the cots into the bed of the truck he noticed Kate lifting the heavy cross beams of their tent and called, "Oh, no you don't, honey. Let one of the guys handle those. You don't need to be lifting anything heavy while you're pregnant."

She dropped the beam, bringing her hands to her hips and glowered in defiance, "Gabriel, I am perfectly capable of-."

"No, sweetheart. Don't argue with me," he laid Bo's saddle onto the tent crate. "Now, why don't you go and help the ladies load the dresses and blankets into Dad's truck. I'm sure it's going to take awhile considering how many there are. Afterwards, see if you can round up Charlie. Odds are he's off hunting for a female."

_Why does he keep acting like I'm weak? Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I can't help out. Hello, I saved his life yesterday and this is my reward? _Kate thought as she watched him closely for any sign of him giving in, but so far he remained serious and unbreakable. She'd need to find some way to get through his stubbornness just like she had when she tried to convince him about having a baby, "Gabriel, I want to do all that I can to help you out. Don't let my pregnancy be a reason to keep me from doing my job as your wife. I'm plenty strong enough. Look, I know you want this pregnancy to go well, but you need to trust me on some things."

His expression softened after thinking over what Kate has said. Of course, her pale eyes always won him over, or was it her smile? "Alright. I just don't want you overexerting yourself. I want you to be comfortable, not stressed."

"I'm fine, Gabriel. Trust me."

"I do."

Right before they were getting ready to leave, Gabriel stepped over to where baby Roxanne lay on her blanket playing with her teething ring, and picked her up, "Come on, sweetie. Let's get you buckled up," he carried her on his hip to the truck where he gently set her in her carrier and fastened the harness over her. Afterward, Gabriel shut the back door and walked around to the passenger side, where he helped Kate into her seat. "Alright, I think we're ready to hit the road."

Once they had gotten out of the farmland and off the winding roads, they pulled onto the interstate right behind Rob and Mae. Following closely behind, maybe even a little too closely, was Sean and Ava.

"Does Sean always follow this close?" Kate questioned while glancing at the side view mirror.

"Yes," he pulled out his cell phone and dialed his friend's number. "Hey Sean, I know you like my truck, but get off my ass! If I slam on my brakes, you're going to be in my back seat, and that's going to piss me off."

Kate and her parents chuckled at the amusing conversation. They needed something to keep them entertained on the long drive back to Jefferson. Their daughter prayed the weather would be nice so that she could give them a tour of the town since they didn't have to leave until the end of the week. It would also be a great opportunity to learn something about infant care, considering Champ specialized in babies.

"So," Champ leaned forward with his elbows resting on the back of the seats. "Have you two thought of any names, yet? You know, for the baby?"

"Well, what do you think of 'Shannon Cassandra'?" Kate replied.

"I think that's a beautiful name, Kate… It's great that you're using your middle name."

She smiled and laid her hand on Gabriel's leg, "That was Gabriel's idea, and I have to say, he's got great taste in names. I didn't think he'd want to use mine."

"I love your name, Kate. It's so beautiful," Gabriel broke in. "Actually, your first name is Irish."

"Really? Wow, I'm not even from Ireland, yet my parents gave me an Irish name. How strange is that?"

The sound of Roxanne starting to fuss caught their attention, causing Gabriel to glance up into the rearview mirror to see what was distressing the baby, "Aww, is someone getting mad?"

Champ unfastened the harness and lifted the baby out so that he could hold her, "She's just hungry. It's been awhile since she ate last," he got a bottle out of the diaper bag and held it while she sucked from it contentedly. "Are you getting excited about seeing your baby, Gabriel?"

"You have no idea," Gabriel turned off of the highway after going through a toll gate. "But I'm so nervous about the birth. Maybe it's because of what happened to Susan."

"Hey, most fathers are nervous during the birth of their first baby. Hell, you should have seen me when Kate was born, and she was our second child," Champ shifted Roxanne to his shoulder after laying a towel over it so that he could burp her. "Believe me, having children is one of the greatest joys in life… and so are the little surprises, like Roxanne."

An hour or so later the truck was pretty much silent except for the sound of the baby sucking on her pacifier. The long stretch of highway seemed endless as it faded into the horizon with the gentle hills rolling by as they continued south toward The Lone Star state. When Gabriel looked over at Kate he found her turned on her side facing the door, snoozing peacefully.

_Leave her be. She might as well sleep since there's nothing else to do, _he thought, and then reached over to turn the radio on low so as not to disturb her. The song playing happened to be a sweet, Celtic ballad he had heard many times before and practically knew by heart.

All of a sudden Kate jolted forward, bringing her hands to her belly. The surprising movement caught the others' attention and made them worry.

"Are you all right, honey?" Gabriel asked.

"Ooh, the baby just kicked me in the bladder. Not the greatest feeling in the world, especially when you already have to pee."

Her husband smiled widely at the mention of the baby. If only he could experience the wonders of motherhood that was happening to Kate. It amazed him that something so small and so precious was growing inside his beloved wife's womb and would have to make the long and stressful journey into their world. _I am not going to leave her side for a moment during the birth. I'll be there to help her through that difficult time no matter how long it takes, _Gabriel tenderly laid his hand on her belly, wanting to feel his baby move in order to know that it was still safe and healthy, "Well, in a few months you won't have to deal with that."

"No, I like being pregnant, just not getting kicked in the bladder."

Gabriel slid his hand to the front of her belly and looked at her after feeling something strange, "Are you starting to get an outie?"

She shyly covered the partial bump made by her belly button poking out, "Quit making fun of my belly button. Yours would do the same if you were pregnant."

"It'll go back to normal after the baby's born, won't it? I don't remember Susan's doing that."

Her father started laughing at their conversation before replying, "Of course, Gabriel. Don't worry; she'll look the same as she did before she became pregnant."

"God, why does pregnancy have to last so long?" Gabriel sighed.

Kate leaned over and kissed his cheek, "Just be patient, honey. Good things take time."

When the sun was high in the sky they were rolling back through Paris right behind Rob's silver truck. Kate was gazing out the window at the city flying by, but stared wide-eyed at a blue traffic sign in front of them, which had arrows pointing in all different directions.

"What the hell is with that sign?! It's right there where you have to make a decision to turn," she exclaimed.

Gabriel chuckled as he passed the crazy sign, heading east toward Mt. Pleasant, "It's stupid, isn't it? I can't tell you how many times it's caught me off guard," he changed lanes to let a black Dodge pulling a horse trailer pass by, "Well; excuse me for going the speed limit, sweetheart. I'm sorry seventy-five is too slow for you."

"Gabriel, that's Sean," Kate stated after getting a closer look at the truck.

"What?! Throw me my phone!" He touched the screen on the device and hurriedly tapped in his friend's number, "Sean, you asshole! I'm sure Hijynx just enjoys having his brains rattled around," after hanging up, Gabriel glanced back at Kate's parents, who were trying to hide their smirks of amusement. "Sorry, you have to know Sean to understand why we mess with each other. He always does things like this. Last year on the way to Shiloh, he tried to get me to drag race… while pulling a horse trailer. Now, how smart is that?"

"You gotta love the guy," Kate commented. "Hello, he saved your life."

"No, Kate. He saved _your_ life. Get him pissed off enough and he turns into the spawn of Satan. Take my word for it, it's not pretty."

For what seemed like an unimaginable amount of time they followed the bumper in front of them until the truck turned off of the highway and drove toward the small town of Avenger, which meant that they were almost home, but the weather wasn't at all what they were hoping for. Dark storm clouds hung low in the sky, making it look like night. It wasn't long before they ran into rain. Well, it was more like a down-pour. Gabriel turned on the windshield wipers in an attempt at being able to see, but it was useless.

"We gotta get home before it starts hailing. I really don't want my baby dinged up," he said.

Kate looked at him before replying, "Gabriel, it's going to take more than hail to hurt me."

"I was talking about the truck."

"Oh."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and quickly kissed her cheek, "My truck is my baby, but you are my honey."

"Aww, there's that sweet, Irish love. It makes me want to grab a fluffy blanket and snuggle up to you."

"How about we get home first and then you can do all the snuggling you want, because there's no way I'm going to be doing anything outside," Gabriel changed the tone of his voice to sound more seductive. "I'll make some hot chocolate for all of us and give you a soothing massage. How does that sound?"

"Absolutely wonderful."

Once they arrived at the small farm, Gabriel immediately ran through the rain to the house so that he could unlock the door. Once it was open, he ran back to the truck where he unfastened Roxanne from her carrier and held her closely against his body with her blanket wrapped around her. He was relieved when the baby didn't wake up through all of the jostling around.

"I'm going to lay her down on the couch, if that's all right with you," Gabriel replied before making his way back to the house. The living room was warm and quiet, the perfect place for Roxanne to sleep, at least for a while. He gently laid her down on the soft couch and placed a few pillows around her to form a barrier so that she wouldn't roll off. When he was satisfied that she was secure, he covered her small body with her blanket. _Soon, I'll be doing the same thing with my little baby. I can't wait_ _to hold her in my arms. Oh, I hope we have a girl. _The sound of the front door swinging open startled him from his thoughts, making him look up from the baby to see Mae carrying in the wooden tent crate, and right behind her was Kate, who had some wool blankets tucked under her arm.

"My gosh, the rain is really coming down out there. We'll have to wait until it stops before we can bring in the rest of the stuff. Gabriel what do you-," Kate replied, but was cut off when her husband took the blankets from her, and after setting them down on the arm of the couch, pulled her against him and softly kissed her lips, savoring the sweetness of it.

"Hey, you two lovebirds… You're right in the middle of the walkway," Champ commented as he pushed past with the tent poles.

Both Gabriel and Kate pulled apart long enough to see her father smiling at them, and then Kate picked up the blankets before heading toward the kitchen, "Well, I guess I better put these up so I can start putting everything else away. I've still got to figure out where the baby's going to sleep and where we're going to put the bassinet," she inhaled deeply. "Oh, my! There's so much we've got to do before it's born. I never realized how much there was to being parents!"

All the while she was rambling on, her parents and Gabriel's, were watching her somewhat concerned, but relaxed when they noticed Gabriel moving toward her. When Kate turned back around she found herself against her husband's body with his hand lightly holding onto hers. His aqua eyes gazed into hers; seeming warmer than they usually were, but they still had a calming effect over her.

"Hey… Slow down," Gabriel ran his hand up her side, stopping on her shoulder. "You have so much time until then. Just slow down and breathe," his words lingered in her ears, sinking in and making her realize how true they were.

"You're right, Gabriel. I do need to slow down," Kate rested her head against his chest, trying to keep herself from crying, but feeling Gabriel's hand rubbing her back soothingly made her calm down and relax enough to listen to his heartbeat "Why am I acting like this?"

"Don't feel bad, baby. It's just part of your pregnancy and the different emotions that go along with it. I completely understand," he could feel her grip his upper arms and pressed her hard belly against his as if she wanted to be closer to him. "But I want you to take it easy until our baby is born. I don't want you under any stress. You're so precious to me."

Mae entered the living room and wrapped a fleece blanket around Kate before leading her away to the bedroom where she shut the door and quickly rubbed a towel over her body in an effort to dry her off.

"Look at you! You're soaking wet. I can't have you catching a cold," the older woman fussed over her like a mother hen despite Kate's protests. "Now, strip out of those wet clothes and put on some pajamas. I'll have Gabriel make some hot chocolate to warm you up."

"He was going to anyways," _I really want to spend time with Gabriel. Alone. Maybe I can get him to come in here and snuggle with me. We haven't done that in a while._ Kate looked up from unbuttoning her jeans to find Gabriel leaning against the door frame with his left leg crossed over his right, arms folded over his chest, and an amused grin on his face. He appeared to be enjoying himself from the way he watched her intently, "How long have you been standing there?"

His eyes slowly moved up her body until they fell on her soaking wet shirt, which appeared see-through, revealing her pink and green striped bra. He could see a bead of water roll down her cleavage from a strand of hair, leaving a wet streak on her chest. Somewhere inside of him a warm sensation was building, making his heart beat faster, "A while," Gabriel moved over to her in what seemed like an instant after closing the door. He lightly brushed some moisture off of her arm, and then began unbuttoning her blouse without saying a word.

"What are you doing?" She asked while watching her husband's fingers move with a purpose over each white button.

His eyes flashed up to meet hers, "Aren't you changing?"

"Well, I-I suppose, but-."

"Then, allow me to help you."

There was silence in the room as he slipped loose the last button and pushed back the shirt over her shoulders until it fell to the floor in a wet heap. Now that she was free of her confinement he could see the silver Celtic knot resting on her chest, looking beautiful against her body. Gabriel assisted his wife in removing her jeans, and afterwards, pulled her against him so that he could feel her chest rise and fall with every breath she took.

_My, gosh. She's shivering. I hope she's not getting sick. That wouldn't be good for neither her, nor the baby, _he thought as his hand rubbed up her back gently to warm her, but after a while he reached up and slyly unhooked her damp bra and slid it off.

Kate gasped when she realized what he was wanting, "Gabriel! Is this safe to be doing while I'm pregnant?"

"Yes," he rested his hands on her belly and softly kissed her neck, eager to be close her. A warm, prickly feeling arose in his stomach when he felt her breathing quicken, and she tilted her head away to expose more of her neck as if she wanted him to continue. "It will make the birth easier for you."

"How-?" Kate tensed up when she felt herself bump into the side of the bed, making her bend her knees until she was sitting on the overly-soft mattress and duvet, which she thought needed a major makeover in the color scheme, but she'd deal with that later on. Maybe she'd surprise Gabriel for his birthday. Wait! When was his birthday? She didn't recall any celebration before, so she was sure she hadn't missed it. "Of all the things I know about you, there is something that I don't know."

"And what's that, sweetheart?"

"When is your birthday?"

He chuckled warmly, "March seventeenth."

It didn't take her long to figure out what day that just happened to be, "But that's St. Patrick's Day! Wow! Can you be any more Irish? I mean, you're half Irish; you've got that Irish brogue accent; you wear a Celtic knot necklace and a claddagh on your wedding band; you're green; _and _your birthday is on St. Patrick's Day."

"Don't forget about my boxers," Gabriel added.

"How could I forget your sexy shamrock boxers?"

The sound of Roxanne crying caught their attention, making them look toward the door, but Kate knew her father was already trying to soothe her, "She just wants some attention. Now…Where were we?"

Without a word, Gabriel reached behind his head and pulled out his ponytail, letting his long hair fall over his shoulders before leaning over and pressing his lips to her pregnant belly, kissing it sweetly. He absolutely adored seeing and touching her rounded belly, knowing that his baby was safe inside until that nerve-wracking day came about. Very lightly, Gabriel laid his hands on either side of the bump, waiting to feel the slightest nudge.

"Hello, little one. Daddy can't wait to see you. Are you going to move for me?" As if answering his request, he felt a small amount of pressure against his fingers, making him smile.

"I think that's her foot pressing there," Kate replied as she lay on her back with her eyes closed.

Her husband looked up at her, "You're convinced that our baby is a girl, aren't you?"

"I want you to have a daughter after losing your first one. It means so much to me to see you so happy."

He gazed into her eyes after she opened hers, a passionate expression on his face, "The fact that you're even pregnant makes me happy. It means I did something right."

She immediately sat up, her hand covering his, "You've always done everything right. Remember, I couldn't have gotten pregnant without your help."

"Stupid hormones," Gabriel gently stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. "And now they're acting up, again. It's taking all of my strength to keep myself from laying you down right now and making love to you."

"Then why don't you?" She acted as if she wanted him to take her and release all of his love upon her. "I want you to."

Her remark surprised him since he didn't think she'd be up for doing something like that while carrying. _She's going to let me do this?_ "Kate, are you sure?"

"Yes, it makes me feel so close to you, and why not 'do it'? She giggled. "After all, it does show how much we love each other."

"Well yeah, but the others are in the living room, and that would be very awkward if they heard us. I don't think you want to see me blush, again."

"You mean like you are now?"

Gabriel's eyes widened, "What?" He quickly reached up to touch his cheek, but she pulled his hand back.

"I'm kidding, honey," she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his while playing with his hair by twisting a lock of it around in her fingers. "Well, you know that I'm ticklish, but what about you?"

"Huh?"

All of a sudden Kate tackled him with a flurry of tickles, causing him to wrench away in an attempt to cover his stomach from her attacks. He tried moving away from her, but ended up falling off of the bed with a loud thud.

"Hey! What's going on in there? Never mind… I don't think I want to know," Champ's voice called from the living room.

Both Kate and Gabriel started laughing until she climbed down from the bed and got on her hands and knees. She leaned over him, staring into his eyes. Her body trembled when he ran his hands down her sides and slid her pink, lacy panties off. She kicked them to the side so that they wouldn't be in the way, and softly kissed his lips as he laid his hands on her thighs. He noticed that she winced when he touched her there, and moved his hand to see what had made her sore; a large, purple bruise was glaring out at him.

"It looks like you got hit by a cannon ball," Gabriel gingerly touched the area around the bruise. "Great, now everyone's going to think I beat you."

"You know, we could always tell whoever asks that it was rough sex."

"I like the way you think. Knowing me, they'd believe it."

"Speaking of which," Kate glanced down to see his damp jeans still on his body, and then she shifted her eyes back up to his face. "The jeans have got to go. It's time to bring out the heavy artillery, Colonel."

"I believe you're right. Hmm, should we open up with a volley?"

"Huh?"

"You'd have to know military terms to understand what I'm talking about."

"Whatever. Now, where were we?"

All joking around aside, Gabriel carefully laid his wife on their bed, feeling his heart beat faster as well as an increase of desire for her. He allowed her to help him remove his jeans before she pressed her body against his, noticing his temperature had risen. The feeling of being close to the one she loved sent a wave of comfort through her as he tenderly stroked her back and kissed her once more before pulling the blanket over them to conceal their nakedness. While she lay there staring up at his gorgeous face, Gabriel gently spread her legs apart, and then started massaging Kate's sides lovingly.

"Maybe this will relax you," he said as he moved his hands to her belly and rubbed it. "I wonder of the baby can feel this?"

"I bet it can," Kate kept her eyes closed, imagining what it must be like for their baby growing in such a small space. _You must be getting awfully cramped in there, sweetie. It won't be much longer before you can come out and see the world. I know your daddy can't wait to meet you. _She opened her eyes to find Gabriel gazing down at her. Apparently he had stopped massaging her, because she couldn't feel his hands moving anymore, "Gabriel?"

Her husband leaned closer, almost by her ear, and whispered, "Tá grá agam duit."

"What's that mean?"

"It means 'I love you'," he sweetly kissed the apple of her cheek. "It's Irish Gaelic."

"I should have known," Kate's eyes flashed to the side and back to his. "How do you say 'kiss me' in Gaelic?"

"Póg mé," it didn't take him long to figure out her hint before he pulled her into a deep and passionate kiss while she wrapped her arms around him.

Out in the living room, their parents sat around chatting animatedly about the town and how they got into Civil War reenacting. Kate's parents were surprised to find out that Gabriel was the first one to get involved, and he got Rob and Mae into it.

"Actually, Gabriel met Sean at one of the reenactments, and they've been friends ever since," Mae commented as she finished a row of the blanket she had been making. After tying off the row, she switched to a lighter yellow yarn.

Cheer became interested in the crocheting, "What are you making, Mae?"

"It's a blanket for the baby, but don't tell Kate and Gabriel. They think I'm making it just for the heck of it."

"So, do you have any more children? Gabriel seems like he's been roughed up a bit, maybe from getting into tussles with an older brother?"

"Nope. He's the only one we have, and we've been so blessed to have him," she set down her crocheting. "Every time he's come close to Nick it terrifies me. I'm always afraid that someone's going to show up here to tell us that he's been killed."

The other woman hugged her tightly; her cheek pressed against Mae's, "You have one amazing son. He's so sweet and loving. Not to mention, very handsome."

"Yeah, he is that."

The sound of Roxanne sucking on her bottle made Mae smile warmly, her eyes glistening, "How old is she?"

"Almost a year," Champ replied while holding onto the bottle. "And believe me, she is a handful at times," he shifted the baby up to his shoulder after she had finished eating and started patting her back to burp her. "Has Gabriel had any prior experience with caring for babies, especially newborns?"

"Not that much. It was just babysitting one of our friend's babies. I know he's getting nervous about taking care of his own baby. His biggest fear is that he's going to drop it."

Champ completely understood how Gabriel felt, for he was the same way when his first daughter was born, "Don't worry; his whole attitude will change once their baby is born. He'll be more protective. I wouldn't be surprised if he's constantly around the baby and Kate."

"Speaking of those two, where are they?" Rob chimed in.

"Probably in their room having 'Private Time'. Lord knows I wouldn't blame them. There's no way you could do that at one of those reenactments. Not unless you wanted to get yelled at by the general," Mae explained while working on the blanket.

"I thought Gabriel was the general?" Champ questioned.

"No, he's a colonel."

Outside a clap of thunder shook the windows, startling Roxanne, who started to cry. Her father bounced her gently and rocked her in an effort to dry her tears. When she calmed down, he looked up at the others watching. They seemed concerned, but relaxed when he spoke.

"She can't stand thunder. Every time it storms she's like this."

"Poor baby," Mae said.

Champ gently kissed his daughter's temple while continuing to rock her, and hopefully to sleep since it was late and past her bedtime. He knew that she wouldn't go to sleep unless he was there, so after she became sleepy he laid her down on the couch cushion with her blanket before slipping a pacifier into her mouth. It wasn't long afterwards that she was sound asleep, not even moving except for the soft rise and fall of her breathing.

"Should we move to another room so we don't disturb her?"

He chuckled, "Nah, once she's out she sleeps like a rock."

Kate gasped loudly when Gabriel touched a pleasure point as he pushed himself into her and stroked her cheek. He was sure the others could hear the noise even with the door closed, but that didn't matter at the moment. Right now he wanted to enjoy the time with his wife. While his thrusts were loving and gentle; his lips moved over hers hungrily like he longed for more. The experience was sensual and beautiful as their bodies moved as one, like that of two swans that dance across the surface of the water during their courtship every spring.

In the middle of an especially deep and purposeful thrust, Gabriel tensed up when he felt Kate touch the inside of his thigh, and he inhaled sharply. It seemed as if her hand was moving further up toward his-, O_h, God. Don't touch me there. _"Kate … I think your eyes are absolutely gorgeous tonight," he relaxed after feeling her remove her hand. _That_ _was close. Not that it wouldn't have felt extremely good, but I think we should wait until our anniversary before we get grabby._

The rain spattering the window made for a relaxing evening for the two. It kept up a steady rhythm the entire time, never letting up. Only one sound would disturb the soothing rain, and that was one of pure passion and ecstasy as their bodies heaved with heavy breathing. Gabriel rested lightly on her, careful not to put too much pressure on her belly; he had finished his job and was recovering from the intense pleasures diminishing within his body. After regaining his strength, he managed to pull out, leaving Kate to stretch out her legs.

"What were those words you said earlier? Oh, yeah," Kate smiled sweetly at her husband. "Tá grá agam duit."

Gabriel beamed with pride upon hearing the beautiful words, "You don't need to tell me that, because I know you love me, a mhuirnín."

**Author's Note: **Gaelic phrases & meanings from this chapter... Tá grá agam duit: I love you (pronounce it like _thaw graw ogum ditch_); a mhuirnín: My dear (pronounce it like _ah wer-neen_)


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Long into the night the rain continued to fall, however, it had begun to pound against the windows, waking Gabriel. He slipped out of bed and walked over to the window where he opened the blinds to see out. All that could be seen was the rain hitting the glass, until a bright flash of light lit up the room and a loud clap of thunder shook the house.

_That doesn't sound good. I'd better go and see what the weather channel says, _he thought as he headed for the door, but Kate stopped him.

"What's going on?" She questioned with a yawn.

"I'm going to go check on the weather. Just stay in bed."

She didn't say a word when he slipped into the dark hallway, but not knowing what was going on made her curious, so she quietly tiptoed out of the bedroom and pressed herself against the wall where she peeked around the corner to see Gabriel and Rob standing in front of the TV, Which cast a blue glow on the walls. From the way they watched the screen intently she figured something wasn't good.

"This kind of weather is odd for September. Tornado warnings?" Rob mumbled with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Yeah. Normally this would happen in the spring," Gabriel replied.

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the blaring of a siren could be heard over the rain and thunder, alerting them of potential danger.

"Get Kate! I'll wake the others!"

Gabriel immediately turned and sprinted toward his bedroom, nearly crashing into Kate, who stepped out of the darkness. He could tell that she was frightened from the way she threw her arms around his waist and clung to him, "Honey, hurry and put some shoes on. We need to go to the storm shelter," he hugged her tightly against him before releasing her. "Meet me on the porch. I've got to go let Bo and Yankee out of the barn so they can get away. Find Charlie and put a leash on him. He'll be hiding somewhere since he hates the tornado siren," his voice faded into the distance, leaving Kate standing in the hallway, alone.

When another clap of thunder rang through the house, Kate bolted back down the hall to the bedroom where she yanked on the first pair of shoes she found, and then ran through the house until she came to the back door. A row of hooks hung beside the door containing several keys and Charlie's leash. She yanked it off before quickly making her way to the laundry room, thinking Charlie might be hiding in there, "Charlie! Come on, boy! Are you in here?" Kate called, hoping he'd come to her. The sound of the front door banging shut made her jump, but when the dog appeared from underneath the table she snapped the leash onto his collar and pulled him along. "Let's go, Charlie. We've got to hurry!"

Out on the front porch, Gabriel waited for his wife while the others made their way to the shelter on the other side of the driveway by the large oak tree. He saw his father and Champ help Mae and Cheer, who had Roxanne wrapped up in her blanket, into the shelter before turning to look at him. Both of them looked extremely worried as they stood near the shelter door.

"Hurry, son! I can hear the twister!" Rob yelled over the roar of the wind and rain.

Gabriel turned back to the door expecting to see Kate emerge at any moment with Charlie, but the seconds ticked by and still no sign of her. _Oh God, where is she? I need to go find her. _After several more seconds ticked by he yanked open the screen door and ran in, "Kate! Where are you?!"

"Gabriel?! I'm in here, in the kitchen!" Her frightened voice responded.

Her husband quickly made his way through the living room and skidded to a stop when he found Kate pulling on the dog's leash, trying to get him to follow her, "Kate, we've got to get to the shelter. There's a tornado coming!"

"He won't move, Gabriel!" Kate looked up at him while tugging on the leash, her eyes wide with fright.

Without pausing to think, Gabriel scooped Kate into his arms and took the leash, jerking on it to get Charlie to move. He ran out of the house into a torrent of rain, and when he looked to the southwest a swirling black cloud of dust and debris was visible behind the tall trees. The tornado was close, very close. At a closer glance he could see that the huge wall was at least half a mile wide, "Shit! That thing's a monster!" As Gabriel was jogging toward the shelter with Kate clinging to him they were almost run over by Bo and Yankee, who blazed by and disappeared into the east tree line.

Kate peeked over his shoulder and saw the tornado rip apart a section of the far back fence and the barn, "It's getting closer, Gabriel!"

"Hang on, Kate! We're almost there!"

When they reached the shelter he threw open the door and released Charlie, and then helped Kate into it, where the others wrapped her up in a warm blanket. After her husband shut and locked the door, he moved over to her and took her in his arms. She was shivering from both the cold rain and fright. All that she wanted was to hold onto him and bury her face in his warm chest.

"Shh. We're safe in here," Gabriel whispered as he rubbed her back soothingly. "The house can be repaired, but if I ever lost you, that could never be."

She felt him lay his hand on her belly as if he was protecting the precious life inside her, "How long before we can get out?"

Over in the corner, Rob was messing with a portable radio and replied, "I'm trying to get this blasted thing to work so we can hear what the meteorologist is saying."

"Dad, I can call Sean and ask him, because I'm sure he's standing outside like a fool, and-," Gabriel started, but a loud banging on the metal door made him jump.

"Gabriel! Gabe… Let us in! It's Sean and Ava!" The familiar voice called.

After hearing the distress in his friend's voice, Gabriel jumped up and unlatched the heavy door before pushing it open. The sight of Sean and Ava's soaking and bedraggled bodies made him worry, "What in the hell are you two doing out in this?! There's a tornado out there, you know!"

"Ava and I were on our way back from the bar when we started down the road to our house and found power lines and trees across the road. That's when we heard the warning on the radio," Sean explained while helping Gabriel latch the door. "I hope you don't mind."

"Sean, there's a bad storm out there. Do you think I want to hear that my best friend died while trying to find shelter?"

"Well, I'm just saying."

The wind continued to whip about, making loud noises whenever it caused something to fall over. Kate rested her head against Gabriel and tried to sleep, but it was useless. She got up after awhile and started pacing around with her hands facing backwards on her hips. It wasn't long before she felt the baby kick, and she looked down at her belly, a small smile on her face, "The baby's moving."

Despite the scary situation, the shelter became warm and inviting with smiles of joy. Mae got up from where she was sitting and stepped over to her daughter-in-law, "Where's the baby kicking?"

Kate pointed to the spot right below her naval and said, "Right here. I think the storm woke her up."

"Oh, poor baby," the older woman gently touched her belly with her fingertips, smiling brightly when a nudge caught her by surprise. "Oh, this is so exciting! I can't believe I'm going to be a grandma. You do know that I'm going to spoil this baby, right?"

"Of course. That's what grandmas and daddies are for," Kate glanced over at her father, who was softly rocking Roxanne to sleep. "I can guarantee Gabriel's going to be spoiling her. Right, honey?"

Her husband's head shot up, and he grinned wryly, "What? Me? Nah. What makes you think I'd do something like that?"

"Please. I know you. I'd bet you'll spend every second with her."

_Wow. I guess she does know me, _Gabriel thought, and then he went over to sit beside Champ. He smiled down at the infant resting in her father's arms, "Would you like me to hold her for awhile? You've got to handle her all night."

Champ was surprised, and even a little relieved by Gabriel's offer, "Sure, if you want. More practice," as he passed the baby off, the jostling around woke her and she became fussy. "Whoops. Didn't mean to wake her."

"It's okay. I've got her," Gabriel held Roxanne against his warm chest with his hand underneath her bottom and the other one on her back. She clung to him, burying her face in the fur on his chest as she continued to fuss. "Hey, Roxanne, you don't need to cry. Shh, go back to sleep," he began to sing in what sounded like Gaelic. The soft notes floated around the shelter, bringing a calming feeling over everyone, including the baby, who had already closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

"What are you singing, Gabriel? It's beautiful," Cheer questioned, entranced by the song.

He looked up from the slumbering baby and answered happily, "It's like an Irish lullaby, called 'Come by the Hills'. Dad used to sing it to me when I was a baby."

"You have a nice voice. Have you ever considered performing?"

"Uh… No. I'm not much for singing in front of big crowds."

Kate intervened to keep her husband from giving an explanation, "Mom, back off. He's got no interest in performing…and neither do I," the last part was difficult to admit.

The small shelter became quiet, Cheer staring at her daughter completely in shock, "But I thought you did?"

"Hell no. Mom, that may be your life, but it's not mine. I just want to be normal without having paparazzi snapping pictures of me every time I walk out of Starbucks, or saying trash about me. I prefer to live like normal people. That's why I moved here," Kate stepped over in front of her mother, her eyes narrowed. "Being a rich slut like Twila is not how I plan on living the rest of my life. I'm just going to come right out and say it… She's a spoiled brat! You wouldn't even help me buy my Camaro, but you paid every cent for her Jaguar convertible. What's that telling you, Mom?"

"Kate…"

"No, don't 'Kate' me! You favor her! You always have… and you've always wondered why I spent more time with Dad."

Her mother thought about everything she had just tossed up in her face, trying to come up with a loophole to get out of the situation, but after a while she gave up, "Kate, if I could do one thing over it would be spending more time with you instead of worrying about the fame. I want to be there for you when you have this baby, and to give you advice on being a mother. Can you forgive me, honey?"

"It's going to take a lot for me to gain back your trust," Kate said pointedly.

"That sounds like something I'd be saying to you."

Champ jabbed his wife in the side, "She's being serious, Cheer. You need to prove to her that you can be trusted."

The tension in the shelter diminished when Cheer stood up and hugged her daughter tightly, feeling the coolness of a tear roll down her cheek and drop to the floor, "I'm so sorry, Kate. I had no idea you felt that way. I promise that I will give you more attention, especially since you're pregnant."

"Hey, I think we can get out, now," Gabriel headed over to the door, preparing to unlock it. "It sounds like the tornado's passed. I'll check," he pushed open the door after unlocking the latch and poked his head out to investigate. The scene in front of him was shocking; debris and trash were scattered all over the yard and in the trees. What looked like part of the back fence was wound around the trunk of the tree; it looked like a war zone. On closer inspection, he saw that part of the roof was gone. "Dad, it seems that we've got to fix the roof. A lot of the shingles and boarding are gone."

Rob rolled his eyes as he got up to assess the damage for himself, "Great. Just what I wanted to do this weekend," his eyes widened when he saw how extreme the damage was, his mouth falling open. "Gabriel, where's your truck? Where did you park it?"

"What are you talking about? It's next to-," he nearly had a stroke when he saw that his truck wasn't where he had parked it when they had gotten home. "Where the hell is my truck?!" Taking the rest of the steps two at a time, Gabriel ran out onto the soaking lawn to search for his dark green Silverado, but all that was visible was his father's truck, beaten by thousands of hailstones. When he looked up, the form of a crumpled up sheet of green metal and wheels twisted around the oak tree caught his attention. "My baby! And I only have liability on her!"

His father joined him in front of the tree and said, "Well, now you can get that green Ram you had your eyes on… That or you can drive Rex for awhile until you do find something."

"I refuse to drive that tin can on wheels. The last time I drove it, the piece of crap died in the middle of the highway and I almost got my ass ran over by a semi."

"I fixed the choke on it."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow, "Dad, there was a hole in the oil pan. I'm surprised the engine didn't blow."

"Oh, well that could be the reason why it died on you."

"You think?" He said sarcastically before going over to help Kate out of the shelter. "Are you okay, honey? You look a little shaken up."

She smoothed the bottom of her silk chemise and glanced up at him from beneath her long eyelashes, "Do I? I'm not surprised," after tossing her damp hair over her shoulder, Kate stared at the debris in the trees and covering the lawn. "What do we do now, Gabriel? There are probably holes in the ceiling."

"I'll have to get up on the roof and cover it with a tarp."

"What do you want me to do, Gabriel?"

He turned around, laying his hands on her hips, and smiled, "Nothing. Just see if you can find Bo and Yankee, and bring them back. My guess is that they are in the clearing. You know which one I'm referring to."

Yes, she did know which clearing he was talking about. The memory of the absolutely enchanting place filled her head with pleasant images. The silhouette of the willow on top of the bluff was so beautiful and life-like.

"Kate… Are you all there?" Gabriel gently tapped her forehead with his fist and pretended to see into her conscience.

"I'm never all here," Kate shook her head to clear her thoughts, and then started off in the direction of the clearing in hopes of finding the bay stallion and gray gelding. "Don't worry, I'll be back before you can say 'Tá grá agam duit'," she disappeared into the darkness, leaving the others to start picking up broken tree branches and wood paneling.

"You know, this kind of looks like paneling from your house, Sean," Gabriel commented with a faint laugh.

His friend shrugged his shoulders and replied, "I wouldn't be surprised. My entire house is most likely gone."


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

A faint gray light peered through the trees in the east, signifying early dawn. The group had been hard at work throughout the night trying to clean the small farm up after the storm, and they were beginning to feel exhausted from their hard labor. At one point Mae stopped her son while he was moving a fence post, worried about Kate.

"Where's Kate? I haven't seen her."

He dropped the wooden post and straightened up to look at her and seemed just as concerned about his wife, "Neither have I. The last time I saw her she was going to find Bo and Yankee… and she should be back by now. Okay, why isn't she back, yet?"

A noise behind them caught their attention, and when they turned around they had to contain their laughter, for Kate scuffed up with Bo and Yankee right behind her. She looked as if she'd gotten attacked by the Creature from the Black Lagoon, because she was covered in slimy, dark green moss with dirty water dripping off of her. As she neared them, they could hear her shoes make a squishing sound whenever she took a step. Her hair was plastered to her head, and she reached up to pull off a string of algae. After reaching the group, Kate released the horses and stared at everyone.

"What happened to you, honey?" Gabriel questioned, trying his hardest to stifle a giggle.

Kate crossed her arms over her chest and scowled defiantly, "Your horses are a pain in the ass, Gabriel. I was getting ready to grab for their halters when both of them turned on me. I lost my balance and fell backwards into that absolutely repulsive swamp you Texans call a bayou."

"That's what a bayou is."

"Well, I'm pretty sure there's a fish trapped in my panties, and he's moving his tailfin and tickling my hoo-hoo," she jumped unexpectedly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go fish him out and take a shower."

Both Gabriel and his mother shook their heads in wonder before going back to work. If they were lucky, they'd get at least most of the debris cleaned up out of the yard by the time the sun came up. So far, all that was left to do was to get Gabriel's destroyed truck out of the tree.

Inside the bathroom, Kate was wiping off most of the moss when she noticed something red on the bottom of her chemise. At a closer glance she recognized the stain as blood. Almost immediately she began to panic.

_Oh, no! No! I can't have miscarried! I've been taking care of myself and doing everything to keep the baby safe. _Kate slumped down onto the floor with her arms wrapped around her legs and her head pressed to her knees before starting to cry.

It wasn't long when Gabriel appeared at the bathroom door to find his wife weeping, and he hurried over to console her, "A stór, what's making you weep so?" His gentle voice caressed her soul, making her look up at him with tears in her pale eyes.

"I think I've miscarried," she choked back a tear. "I found blood on the bottom of my chemise."

The possibility of losing their baby startled him, and he immediately noticed the red stain. _Oh, dear God. _Gabriel pushed back her chemise over her legs, letting out a sigh of relief, "Oh, Kate. You haven't miscarried. When you fell into the bayou you must have cut yourself on a log or something. There's a cut on your thigh. That's why you have blood on your chemise."

"What?" She looked down at her leg and gasped. "No wonder my leg's been hurting."

"Here, let's get that cut cleaned up so it doesn't get infected," Gabriel gently scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom, where he set her down on the bed. While she waited patiently, he gathered together some cotton swabs, bandages, antibiotics, and a bottle of whisky. After setting the items down on the nightstand, Gabriel propped her leg up on a pillow before opening the bottle of golden liquid.

"What's the whisky for?" Kate questioned curiously.

He glanced up at her with a smile, "It's an old family remedy. We've always used whisky to clean cuts."

She watched her husband as he soaked a cotton swab in the whisky before gently rubbing it over the wound. The liquid made the cut sting for a few seconds as it went to work disinfecting it. Despite the pain, Kate never flinched, for Gabriel touched her ever so tenderly as if her were caring for a newborn. _Gabriel is going to be such a wonderful father. He's so gentle in everything he does. _A cold sensation caught her by surprise, and when she looked down, Gabriel was placing a bandage covered in the antibiotics over the cut, "I guess I should have been watching where I was going."

"Just try to be more careful," Gabriel scolded softly, planting a kiss on her forehead. "Now, why don't you go lie down on the couch and get some sleep? There isn't anything that you need to help us with outside."

"What about you?"

"Don't worry about me, Kate. Just sleep."

After laying Kate down on the couch in the living room and covering her up with a warm blanket, Gabriel leaned over to kiss her lips sweetly. _She looks so tired. Poor baby. I'll let her sleep as long as she wants, _"I'll be right outside if you need anything, baby. Later, I'll send someone in to check on you."

Her eyes seemed to smile at him, "Okay. Be careful, Gabe."

"I will. Now, close your eyes," his voice lingered in her ears before he disappeared out the front door to help the rest of his family outside.

Later on that afternoon Kate was still lying on the couch with her hands resting on her belly, thinking about the day when she'd give birth. How much would it hurt? Would she have enough strength to push the baby out? As she lay there, the sound of metal clanking and men's voices giving orders was heard through the open screen door. She sat up to see out of the front windows and smiled at the sight of her husband balancing on Sean's shoulders while Sean stood on a ladder as they tried to coax their neighbor's cat out of the tree.

_And they wonder why women live longer than men, _Kate rolled her eyes.

"A little more to your left, Sean," Gabriel directed while reaching for the terrified feline, and wobbled around when Sean moved in the opposite direction. "Your other left."

"Huh?" Sean sidestepped carefully on the ladder, almost dropping his friend. "I am going left!"

"No, your left that's not right."

"Well, who's left? My left or yours?"

Gabriel blinked a few times before answering¸"Sean, you're not getting a face full of my man goods, which means that we're facing the same way, and therefore my left is also your left."

"Oh," Sean shimmied over, allowing Gabriel to easily grab the cat, but he moved just before he could get a grip on it. "Ugh! Are you getting a boner? And you're sitting on my neck?! Sick!"

The other male smack his friend on the head and said, "I would never, _ever _dream of humping your neck, Sean."

"No, but you'd hump Kate in a heartbeat."

Kate found herself chuckling at the amusing conversation between the two boys, and then she swung her legs over the edge of the couch, preparing to get up so that she could get dinner started for the others. After napping for a few hours, her body felt rejuvenated and ready to take on anything thrown her way.

While pouring cooking oil into the frying pan, the sound of the boys continuing their conversation came in through the open windows. By now, Gabriel had managed to get one of his legs up on a higher limb, but Sean still held onto his other one to steady him.

"Ah, shit! That stupid cat jumped up to a higher branch. Give me a boost, Sean!"

Sean grunted from the pressure being put on his legs, and rose up on his tip-toes, "You weigh as much as a pregnant woman in her third trimester! Lay off your mama's biscuits!"

"Kate would slap the hell out of you if she heard you say that. Now, get me higher!" He reached for the nearest branch, but his foot that had been on the lower branch slipped just as Sean let go of his friend's leg, causing Gabriel to come down rather painfully on the lower limb of the tree. "Ohhhh, sweet mother of Jefferson Davis! I didn't need you to move just yet before I got a hold of the branch. You just made me rack myself. Geez, my nuts are probably going to be purple after this!"

"Well… you weren't planning on having sex tonight, were you? That wouldn't feel that great, especially if Kate is one of the grabby types."

"Sean, shut up and help me get this damn cat out of the bloody tree before I kick you in the face," Gabriel growled through gritted teeth; his nether regions was still throbbing unmercifully.

Kate shook her head in wonder, and then went back to filling the pan with a mix of veggies. At least she'd be eating something packed with nutrients to help keep the baby healthy. If she kept doing everything responsible instead of putting her life in danger, there was a very high possibility of having an easy birth. _You only have a few more months left. Don't do anything stupid, Kate._

By the time dinner was on the kitchen table, Gabriel and the others had filed into the house, only Gabriel had a limp to his stride, an indication of the failed rescue mission from earlier that evening. They took their seats at the table before filling their plates with the delicious-looking food. The stir fry smelled tangy with a mystery seasoning, and Mae was curious as to what it was.

This is absolutely mouthwatering, dear," she said after swallowing a bite of broccoli. "But what is that spice you used in it?"

She smiled wryly, "I squeezed an orange half over the veggies."

"I thought I recognized a citrus taste."

Gabriel nodded in agreement while chewing a mouthful. The fact that his wife had cooked for all of them meant she cared about her family and everything they did for her, "You know, ever since we've been married I don't think I've ever seen you cook dinner. What's with the sudden impulse?"

"I decided to give Mae a break. Besides, it's about time I learned how to cook without burning it. I'm the type of person who could burn water."

"It impossible to burn water, baby."

"Not for this girl."

"Well, I'm curious to see what kind of dessert you can whip up."

"How does strawberry cheesecake sound?"

Sean was the one to reply, his fork grasped tightly in his hand, "Bring on the sweets, honey!"

All of them chuckled as Kate got up and stepped over to the refrigerator, where she pulled out a circular shaped cake covered in homemade strawberry sauce and topped with seven plump strawberries, one for each of them. She placed the creamy delight in the center of the table before passing out small plates, "I may have gone a little overboard on the strawberry sauce."

Her husband stared at the cake in awe, fighting the urge to pounce on it, "Are you kidding?! I _love_ strawberries!"

Once all of them had a piece on their plate, Gabriel was the first one to try it. His eyes widened after a few seconds, "Oh, my God! This is like an orgasm in my mouth!"

"I've never quite got that reaction before," Kate replied. "Is it seriously that good?"

"Heavens, yes! Mama, I hate to say it, but I think she's got you beat on the cheesecake."

Mae smiled, "I have to agree with you, son. This is very delicious… and creamy."

"Thank you. I'm glad you like it… Honestly, I thought I had messed it up," Kate admitted while watching the others' expressions. As soon as she swallowed a mouthful of cake, little flutters tickled her belly, bringing a smile to her face. "The little one's moving. I guess she also likes it," she leaned back against her chair and looked at the more defined bulge the baby made, pondering how big she would get and if that would create problems for her during the birth. "Daddy, do you think I'll have to have a 'C'-section?"

Her father's face softened as he thought about what he would say, "I don't know, sweetheart. That would depend on several factors."

"Like what?"

"Well, how stressed the baby gets during labor; if it's turned the wrong way; if you can't push the baby out naturally; the size of the baby… but I think the biggest issue I've seen with many women is the size of the mother," he straightened. "With you, you're a slender woman, so your hips aren't as wide as others'… and definitely not as wide as your mother's. That may be a problem, especially if the baby is large."

Kate sighed and looked directly at Gabriel, "Yeah, watch it be my luck that Gabe got me pregnant with the heavy weight champion. Thank you so much, honey."

"You're welcome," Gabriel replied in a smart-alecky way.

Champ broke in, "Not necessarily. You were pretty small when you were born, and if he was on the large side, then your baby's size should even out."

"Thank God, because I was planning on having the baby here since I can't stand hospitals and those doctors stabbing me with needles."

"Do you have a midwife?"

"Not yet," Kate smiled at Mae, who cocked an eyebrow in response. "Mae, what do you say about delivering our baby?"

The older woman seemed shocked, "I've given birth, but I've never actually helped anyone deliver a baby, so don't ask me."

To make Kate more comfortable, Gabriel got up from his chair and walked around to her with a loving smile on his face. He tenderly wrapped his arms around her, laying his hands over hers, "A stór, don't worry about who's going to be here during the birth. If anything, I can give Sean a call and have him come over. He's delivered a cow before."

"That's very encouraging, Gabriel. Thanks," she responded sarcastically. "I'm sure that the mama cow appreciated it. What'd he use to cut the cord? Hedge clippers?"

"No, actually it was a rusty pocketknife he found in the bed of his old truck."

"My point exactly."

Kate's mother stopped their conversation after realizing that Gabriel had spoken in a foreign language, "Wait! Gabriel what was that word you said a few minutes ago?"

"A stór?"

"Yeah, that's it!"

"It means 'my darling' in Irish Gaelic," he gently kissed the top of his wife's head, excited that someone had questioned his use of the old language. "You'll often hear me speak some words in Gaelic if you listen closely. Actually, the song I was singing to Roxanne when we were in the shelter was in Gaelic."

Champ thought about everything his son-in-law was saying, trying to remember some of the things he'd learned about ancient languages in college. He'd learned some things about the Irish language, but there was a part that made him frown, "Gaelic is a dead language. It hasn't been used in years."

A sly smile crept across Gabriel's face as he soaked in everything Champ was saying. Clearly, there was something he didn't know about the language, "Ah, but that's where you're wrong. It _is _still spoken. People living in small villages use it. It's few and far between. I like using it to keep it alive in the Dawson family. Hopefully someday Kate and I will have a son to carry on our last name and the language."

"Well, never mind what I said. Apparently my professor was wrong… again," he chuckled while watching the others' reactions intently. "I may not know much about European languages, but at least I know how to deliver a baby when the mother is screaming her head off."

They nodded in agreement before Mae gathered the plates to put them in the sink. She continued to listen to the conversation, but somewhere inside of her she kept thinking about the baby. Only about four months left until it was time for Kate to have the baby, and she prayed everything went well for her. Oh, she couldn't wait to see her first grandbaby. She'd probably have to fight over who'd get to hold it first.

_I wonder what our little one's going to look like. Hopefully, she'll take her daddy's eyes. I hope the baby's a girl, especially since Gabriel lost his first baby girl, _Mae thought, watching the scene of her son caressing Kate's belly. It was very obvious that he wanted to be there for her throughout her pregnancy, "Gabriel, have you two decided what color to paint the baby's room?"

Both of them stared at her, somewhat confused by the question, but Gabriel managed to speak, "Mom, we don't have a room. We thought the baby would be staying with us."

"Oh, yes we do have a room. Remember, we have that spare room next to ours that could be turned into a nursery. That would free up your bedroom once the baby gets older," Mae crossed her arms over her chest while leaning with her back against the sink. "That way Rob or I can get to the baby if you're gone or something, and you could always use our help… even if you don't think you do. Trust me, it's a learning experience."

_I guess the saying 'mother knows best' is true. Mom could really help us out, _Gabriel thought deeply about how much they would value Mae's generous offer to help them with their baby, "Thanks, Mom," he tried to stifle a yawn. "Oh, God I'm tired. I think I'll head to bed. Are you coming, honey?"

Kate tilted her head back to see Gabriel smiling down at her, his brilliant aqua eyes glittering in the light. For some reason they looked bluer than usual, "I'll be in there later, Gabe. I'd like to talk with the others for awhile since I'm not exactly tired after taking that nap earlier."

"Alright. Don't worry about waking me when you come in. I'll probably be knocked out," he mumbled when he left the kitchen.

As soon as he was out of earshot Sean beckoned the rest of them closer to him, a sly grin on his face. He had a rather nasty trick to play on Gabriel, and he wanted the others to play a role in it, especially Kate, "Listen up, guys. I've got a great prank to pull on him. Kate, you're going to have to act, sweetheart. Are you capable of acting like you're in pain?"

"You bet," she replied, already itching to put the plan into action.

"Wonderful," Sean's grin turned devilish as he finished explaining what would happen.


	22. Chapter 22

(Disclaimer: This chapter is rated "M" for language, violence and other content)

**Chapter 22**

Gabriel was lying twisted on the bed with his hip and part of his back resting on the cool sheets. The only sound in the room was his gentle snoring. Every now and then he would turn over to a more comfortable position. He deserved to get a little sleep after being awake for so long cleaning up storm damage and trying to pull angry cats out of trees.

"Oh, great merciful heavens! It hurts!" The scream echoed throughout the house.

Almost immediately he was out of the bed and running down the hall. The scene in front of him stopped him dead in his tracks, because Kate was doubled over in the middle of the living room with her arms wrapped around her belly. She gasped in pain before looking up to find her husband standing a few feet away, clearly stunned and worried.

_Yes! He's buying it! _"Oh, Gabriel! I think I'm in labor! Ow! It hurts!"

"What?! You can't be in labor. It's way too early!"

"Get Daddy!" She moaned again and let out another scream. A faint popping could be heard, followed by a gush of fluid running down her legs. "Oh, hurry! I think my water just broke!"

Gabriel bolted through the living room until her nearly crashed into Champ, who was heading for the door with his medical bag, "Champ! Kate's water just broke and she's in a lot of pain!"

"That's not good," he quickly exited the kitchen, but shouted back, "Gabriel, get me some towels and a warm blanket!"

"Okay!" Gabriel was on the verge of having a heart attack. By the time he returned to the living room with the towels and blanket, Kate was already on the floor with her legs propped up, her father getting different things together. She seemed to be in a terrible amount of pain from the way she clenched her teeth and clung to Sean's hand.

"Ah, thank you, Gabriel. I'll take it from here," Champ took the clean towels and set them beside his bag before pulling on a pair of latex gloves, "Okay, Kate. You're actually ready to push."

Her husband stepped back to stand beside his mother and watched anxiously, "Is she all right? There aren't any problems, are there?"

"Alright, sweetheart… go ahead and push."

Kate squeezed Sean's hand tighter as she forced her lower body muscles to relax as she pushed. A few times she moaned, but went right back to pushing.

"That's a good girl. You're almost done," Champ coaxed.

With a final yelp, Kate collapsed on her back and watched as he father picked up the 'baby' to show the others. When Gabriel saw it, he wasn't sure how to respond.

"What the f-," he started to say, but stopped. What the hell is going on?! That's not a baby!"

The others burst out laughing, and Kate sat up, wiping away tears. Their trick had worked. She took the object from Champ and held it up, "Oh, boy! We got you good, honey! You should have seen your face!"

"You're not in labor?"

"Nope!"

"Then what was with the fluid draining?" At this point Gabriel was none too happy.

She laughed again before explaining, "I squeezed a water-filled balloon between my thighs"

"So all of this was a joke?"

"Exactly."

He turned his back on them and stormed down the hallway, saying, "That was so not cool! You guys scared the shit out me!" The tension in his voice made them feel bad for playing the trick on him, especially Sean.

"I feel terrible, now. I didn't want to make him made, just to have fun with him," Sean's face fell as he spoke.

Kate got up from the floor, as she felt a need to calm her husband after upsetting him. She walked down the hall until she came to their bedroom and stopped when she heard what sounded like crying. _Oh, dear. I didn't mean to make him cry God, now I feel awful for hurting him. _"Gabriel, honey… are you okay?" She hurried over to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"Why would you do something like that, Kate? You know I'm very sensitive about stuff like that, especially after losing my first wife and baby. When you played that trick I was scared to death," Gabriel rested his cheek against hers, "I don't want anything to happen to our baby," he sweetly kissed her cheek, feeling the softness of her skin.

"I'm so sorry, honey. I didn't realize how much it would hurt you."

"It's all right," his eyes glittered in the darkness, "I guess I reacted a little too strongly."

Her voice was soft, but she was hesitant as she started to touch his arm, afraid that he might pull away from her, "I never meant to hurt you, Gabriel. I know you want everything to go well with the baby, but I'd also like to have a little freedom, if you understand."

"I do, and I'll try my hardest to stop being so protective of you. I don't want to lose you because of my foolish behavior."

The room became quiet in the moments that followed; except for the ticking of the Robert E. Lee clock hanging on the wall beside the windows. After a while, Gabriel felt Kate lay her hand over his and rest her head on his shoulder. Now that they understood each other they could relax again and enjoy the rest of the evening.

"Oh, I wish the baby would hurry up and grow so she can come out. Why does pregnancy have to be so long?" She mused.

He gently kissed her head and said, "I don't know, baby. Just be patient, that day will come."

Kate thought of something that the two of them could do together the next day since the weather was supposed to be nice, "Gabe, how about we go riding tomorrow?"

We've just got Bo, and Yankee won't let anyone ride him besides Dad… So, who are you planning to ride?"

"Well, I found this pretty buckskin gelding online the other day, and as far as I know he's still for sale. I think his name is Buster. He's a nice-looking horse… I wonder why they're selling him."

_Maybe he's called Buster for a reason, _"How much do they want for him?"

"It doesn't matter, because I will be buying him since he will be my horse."

"Honey, let me buy him. That way you can save your money for the baby's room. Besides, I want to check him over first in case they are hiding something; I know what to look for. You want a sound horse, especially when you want them to ride a certain way or do tricks like Bo."

"Gabriel, I've got a gut feeling about this horse," her rambling halted when she felt a bit queasy, and she quickly jumped up and ran for the bathroom, leaving her husband staring awkwardly after her. She returned a few minutes later, wiping her mouth on a hand towel, "I think the worst of the morning sickness had finally caught up with me."

"But it's not morning."

"Well, whatever this pregnancy sickness this is. Gosh, I'm so ready for this to be over with. I just want to get this baby out."

He pulled her onto his lap, resting his chin on her shoulder, "You're only in your second trimester… or something like that. Just wait."

"I have been, and you have no idea what it's like having to get up every thirty minutes in the middle of the night to go pee. It gets very old."

"Actually, I do know what it's like," Gabriel smirked, "Whisky will go straight through ya. I should know, and that's one reason I've cut back. Trust me; bouncing along on a horse with your junk slamming against the saddle does nothing for your bladder."

She decided to give up since it was obvious that she wasn't going to win, "Touché, but just wait until I get further along… and … and you thought your general was a bitch."

"Nah, I don't think you're capable of being a bitch. Not my sweet girl," he squeezed her tightly until she was trying to get away. After looking down at her he replied, "You okay?"

"Choking!" Once she was released, Kate playfully walloped him across the shoulder, "Did you forget that I'm pregnant, you over-stuffed teddy bear?"

"But I'm your over-stuffed teddy bear."

"Right. Plus, you make a fantastic personal space heater, however you just about burned me up last night before we had to go to the shelter."

Gabriel pinched the apple of her cheek before squeezing her against the side of his body, "What can I say, a mhuirnín? I'm just warm-hearted."

Kate snorted, "Smartass."

"Thank you. That's one thing I'm good at."

The clock on the wall chimed the tune of 'Dixie' when the hands fell on ten o' clock, alerting the two of the new hour. Gabriel had been awake for almost twenty-four hours straight, but he wasn't feeling tired any more now that he had someone to talk to. If anything, he was eager to know if his wife would be interested in a scavenger hunt that was planned for the next day in town. It would be a fun way of bonding.

"Kate, tomorrow is Jefferson's annual fall 1860's scavenger hunt. Would you like to be my partner?" He asked.

Her face lit up, "Sure! That would be fun."

"Then, we better get you that horse."

Early the next morning, Gabriel and Kate were standing alongside the owner of the buckskin gelding, watching as the horse pranced around them on its lead rope; he appeared full of spirit by the way he tossed his head and whinnied loudly at the group.

Gabriel turned to his wife and cocked an eyebrow, "This is the horse you want? He's kind of wild," he turned to the owner, "What'd you do, get him right off the range?"

The older gentleman spat out a mouthful of tobacco juice and slapped the gelding's withers, "Nah, he's just high spirited… Needs a lady to tame him. Other than that, he's a great horse."

"Is he broke?"

"Yep! I reckon you could hop right on him and go."

Gabriel turned to his wife, considering the horse, "Kate, do you think you can ride him?"

She was almost offended by his comment, "Honey, I grew up around horses. I know what I'm doing."

Before thinking about his decision, Gabriel fished out his checkbook and pen from his jacket pocket, "So, what are you asking for… What's his name?"

"Buster," the owner replied, "and he's six hundred."

"Sounds reasonable."

"He was originally a thousand, but I had to drop his price."

_I wonder why, _he thought sarcastically while signing the check and finishing with a flourish, "Well, Kate… looks like you have a horse, now. I wonder how Bo's going to react when he sees him."

Kate raised her eyebrow, "Why do you say that?"

"His stallion side comes out when he's around a new horse, especially when it's a male."

Jefferson's Otstott Park was bustling with many groups of people on horseback, waiting for the scavenger hunt to begin. They stopped their talking when the mayor stood at the railing inside the white gazebo in the center of the square, and raised his hands.

"This is going to be an exciting day, my friends. It's time for our annual 1860's scavenger hunt!" He paused to let the crowd cheer, "And if you remember, most of you always end up racing after the dynamic duo, Gabriel Dawson and Sean Howitzer, when it comes to bringing all of the items back here. If I recall, last year they actually did a little sabotaging at the General Store. Remember the taffy, boys?"

Sean look away from the mayor and started to whistle innocently, and Gabriel said, "What taffy?"

The mayor continued, "Anyway, this year Gabriel's teaming up with his beautiful wife, Kate. Now, General Mayo is going to explain the rules."

Everyone applauded as the 1st Texas Cavalry's general made his way up to the gazebo and cleared his throat, "As you probably know, this is Civil War themed. You and your partner will ride throughout the town looking for items on the list you will be getting in a moment. You will get the item with your color ribbon on it and put it in your saddlebag. Obviously, the first team back with all of their items with the correct color ribbon wins.

"Now, there won't be any running into another team, fighting, tripping, blackmail, trickery, and absolutely no taffy sabotaging… Gabriel."

After all the teams had their lists and color, Gabriel and Kate's being green, they lined up beside the tall clock in the square and listened to the general when he went on to talk.

"The items are hidden throughout the town. There are clues on your list to help you find them. When you hear the cannon fire that means it's over. Alright, get ready people, this is it… and watch out for Gabriel and Sean, they might have taffy on them."

Kate chuckled while looking over the list, _a corset, two percussion caps, a housewife, cavalry insignia, and a pistol… Why do we need a pistol? _When she looked over in Gabriel's direction something shiny caught her eye, "Gabriel, why do you have your sword with you?"

He cleared his throat, and kept his voice low when he leaned over to speak, "I overheard one of the guys say that Nick broke out of jail the other night after lights out and they haven't found him yet. My guess is that he's going to make his way back here; he's still after me, Kate, and now you. I can't just let this pass. I've got to protect you any way I can."

The sound of the cannon going off startled the two of them, and they realized the game had begun. They flew down the cobblestone street after the rest of the competition, including Sean and Ava, before Kate pulled out the list and started to read the first clue.

"'To find your corset, seek out the building that has been visited by a famous movie director, but pick the correct one.'"

Gabriel thought about it before yelling, The Excelsior! Go to the Excelsior House!"

"Why not the Jefferson?"

"Wrong hotel! Stephen Spielberg signed the guest book, which is in the Excelsior! I should know… I've seen it."

A few minutes later they skidded to a stop in front of the long, white hotel and quickly tied their horses to the railing before running into the building. The hotel's manager smiled while holding up a basket of rolled up corsets with different colored ribbons tied around them.

"What color are you two?" She asked.

"Green!" Gabriel and Kate shouted together.

Once outside again, they mounted up, and then checked the list for the next item, seeing that it was the percussion caps. Kate stuffed the list back into the saddlebag before kicking Buster in the sides; she knew exactly where to go without having to consult in her husband. She'd been to the seamstress's shop too many times not to know that was what the clue was referring to. Already, she was far ahead of her husband and could see the seamstress's on the corner with its red brick walls and tall windows draped with a soft pink chiffon material.

_Beth will be happy to see me, again, _Kate thought as she yanked open the door, surprising the older woman behind the counter, "Hi, Beth. I'm looking for percussion caps, whatever those are."

"Ah, where's Gabriel? I'm assuming he's your partner, right?"

The bell above the door rang when it opened and Gabriel stepped in, panting and his hand still on the metal handle. He straightened and replied, "Damn, girl! You were moving like a bat outta Hell! We don't need to go that fast."

"Hello, Gabriel. It's been a while since I've seen you. I bet you're excited about seeing that baby of yours, aren't you?"

"I'm more than excited, Beth."

While Kate chatted with the seamstress, he searched around the shop for the caps, always listening in on their conversation in case they said anything interesting or concerning him. _It's nice that she has Beth to talk to. They really get along well. _He happened to look down at the basket of ribbons and saw the gold caps sparkling in the light, "Ah! Found the percussion caps!"

Kate bounded over to where Gabriel was standing to see what percussion caps were, "Those are strange-looking. Where do they go?"

"On the nipple."

"What?!" Her eyes widened.

"The nipple of the gun," Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose, "Don't turn perverted on me."

A few minutes later the two of them were galloping toward their next item when Gabriel pulled Bo up and reached for his sword, preparing to dismount. Something made him uneasy, but he wasn't sure as to what it was. He jumped down and grabbed onto Kate's reigns after she had trotted back to him, making her worry.

"What's wrong, honey?" She asked.

Gabriel helped her down from the saddle, pushing her behind him while gripping the hilt of his pistol, which he just happened to have on him. He popped the cylinder out and loaded several rounds of bullets.

"Blanks?"

After snapping the cylinder back in place, he replied, "Not quite. These are real rounds."

An eerie feeling swept over Kate as she watched her husband take a few steps forward with the pistol pointed up. He knew something that she didn't, and it worried her. _What does he see? It must be dangerous if he's got his pistol loaded, _she noticed that her legs were shaking, probably from nervousness. On instinct, her hands moved up to cover the bulge her belly made.

"Get down, Kate!" Gabriel yelled before lowering the barrel of the pistol and pulling the trigger. A loud crack disturbed the air, followed by another crack from the opposite direction.

The wooden barrel near Kate flew back several feet with a large bullet hole in the side of it, startling her. She watched from behind a brick wall as Gabriel returned the fire, but missed whatever he was shooting at. Eventually, his opponent stepped out from behind a building, and she gasped; Nick stood about fifty yards away from Gabriel with a nasty sneer on his face, _Oh, God! Why does this have to be happening?_

"Well, well. Isn't this a wonderful day to have a scavenger hunt? I didn't know I'd be hunting you, Gabriel," Nick took a few steps closer to Gabriel, "You know… I'm still scarred after what that little wife of yours did to me."

Gabriel started to say something, but was cut off when Kate strode angrily past him with the sword held firmly in her hand, "And I'll do it again, you-."

"Kate! Are you crazy?!" Gabriel grabbed her arm, pulling her back toward him.

"I'm going to kill him, Gabriel. I swear I will," she was seething while her husband held onto her, "Dammit, Gabriel! Let me go! I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch!"

_Damn! She is seriously pissed. I can barely hold onto her, _Gabriel was almost pulled over from Kate trying to break free from his grasp. After a while, he wrapped his arm around her chest, restraining her, and growled in her ear, "Pick your battles… and this is not one of them."

"Let me go so I can stick this between his eyes," her eyes blazed, "He's pissed me off for the last time, and he's going to pay. Now, LET ME GO! I'll break your arm if I have to!"

During the argument, Kate and Gabriel never even noticed that Nick had closed the distance between them. He stood in front of them and sneered while pulling back the hammer on his pistol. His eyes moved over them before he started laughing wickedly.

"Ah, it looks like you _have _screwed her. Now she's nothing more than a slut, and since she's carrying a little heathen she'll be of no use to you. Why stay with someone who's broken?"

"Broken?!" Kate finally broke free from her husband and got in Nick's face, "The only person who's broken is you. You're nothing but a heartless wretch."

Gabriel pulled her back and said, "That 'little heathen' is my baby, and I'm proud that Kate's pregnant. After losing Susan and my first child you should know that I'm excited to have this one."

With another laugh, Nick crossed his arms over his chest and said, "Funny you should mention Susan. It's strange that such a healthy woman would die so young, including her baby, and all while giving birth."

"What do you mean, Nick?"

"I never thought that rat poison anti-coagulant I mixed into her drink a few weeks before she died would actually work. I guess it affected the baby, too."

A sickening feeling in the pit of Gabriel's stomach overwhelmed him as the horrifying truth sank in. So, Susan died because she lost too much blood, and that was from her blood not being able to clot… and the poison had gone through her system to enter the baby's body, killing her; it all made since, now. _There was no reason for her to die. I could still have her and my baby, _"You murdered Susan and my baby girl. If anyone's going to kill you, it's gonna be _me_!" He pointed the pistol right at Nick's head and prepared to fire, but not before Kate ripped it from his hand and bashed Nick over the head with the hilt of the pistol, "Kate!"

She turned the pistol over so that the barrel was pointing directly at Nick. Her hand was shaking slightly from fear and nervousness, _Come on, Kate. Just pull the damn trigger and end this nightmare, _"Gabriel, I'm going to pull this trigger and rid us of this murderer," _he's hurt you too many times, and it's time for it to end._

Nick moaned from being hit in the head while trying to get back to his feet, but not before he was staring down the dark barrel of Gabriel's pistol, "Just kill me now. I'd rather be dead than go back to jail or prison," he glanced down at the ground, but when he looked back up at them the intent to kill again burned in his eyes like a raging fire, "I never liked you, Gabriel. You're life was just too perfect. You had the gorgeous wife and so many friends… and when you told us that you had a baby on the way, it was just too much for me. I couldn't stand seeing you so damn happy. That's when I decided to turn your world into a living hell. I almost succeeded on several occasions. If you had just killed yourself when you thought about it, I would have been deliriously happy and I wouldn't be looking at you right now, but no. Sean had to drag your depressed ass up to Washington, where you met this bitch."

"Gabriel… what do I do? I want to shoot him, but I don't want to be accused of killing someone," Kate was sick of hearing the garbage coming out of Nick's mouth, and was fighting the urge to bury the hilt of the pistol deep in his skull.

Her husband laid his hand on her shoulder and shook his head, "Honey, he's committed the murder of two people. Not to mention, he's tried on numerous occasions to kill us. He deserves this fate."

"But it seems so wrong to kill out of vengeance."

Out of the corner of his eye, Gabriel noticed Nick raise his gun up at Kate while she had her back turned and pull back on the hammer, "KATE, MOVE!" He knocked her out of the way just as a gun fired, but it wasn't Nick's. When he looked back up, his enemy was flat on the ground with a bullet through his chest, "What in the hell?" As he turned around to see where the shot had come from, he saw Sean return his own Colt back to its holster, rage in his eyes, "Sean?"

"Dude, how many times am I'm gonna have to come and save your ass?" His friend strode over to the scene and kicked Nick's foot, "He looks dead to me. I sure hope I don't go to jail for this," he then turned back to Gabriel and said, "Next time, don't be a pussy and just pull the damn trigger. You've got testicles for a reason."

"I thought those were for making babies… or looks, I haven't decided yet," Gabriel joked.

"Seriously. Leave it to you to be all macho and 'oh, I'm going to kill that son of a bitch', but it never fails, you always hesitate. By God, Kate practically pistol-whipped him while you just stood there. That girl's got more balls than you, and she's the one who's pregnant!"

After the police had cleared the scene of the body and questioned all witnesses of what had happened, the three of them mounted back in their saddles to finish the hunt. Thankfully, Sean wasn't going to be brought up on any charges since he was using self defense against Nick. Even after everything that had taken place that afternoon, Kate and Gabriel returned to the gazebo after retrieving all of their items. They managed to make it back a few seconds before Sean and Ava, which meant that they had won. Kate was still a little traumatized by the shoot out, but she knew that she no longer had to worry about always looking out for Nick.

_Now, all Kate has to do is enjoy the rest of her pregnancy, _Gabriel thought while watching his wife conversing cheerfully with some of the other couples. Her pregnant tummy was very visible now, and made him smile. A noise behind him caught his attention, and when he turned around, Sean was leaning against Bo with his arms crossed over his chest, "What's up?"

"Are you just determined to make Kate widow?" Sean questioned.

"Póg mo thóin Éireannach," Gabriel rolled his eyes.

"Did you just tell me to suck your left nut?"

"Sure. Let's go with that."

"I would, but I'm not gay. Although, I'm sure Kate would enjoy it, no?"

Gabriel slapped Bo's hindquarters, making the horse step away from Sean, "Nah. She prefers more traditional sex," he snorted, "I don't think she could have gotten pregnant from sucking on my testicles."

"Traditional? Man, Ava always tries something different, no matter how ridiculous it may be."

"Why are we even discussing this?" Gabriel had started to remove Bo's tack and load it into the trailer.

At that particular moment Kate showed up with a grin on her face, and stood beside her husband, eager to hear what they were talking about. However, it probably wasn't the best time to listen in to their conversation.

"Hey, you're the one who has the Trinity Knot tattooed on your penis."

"Whoa! What?!" Kate's eyes widened in shock at what she had just heard.

The two men turned to look at her, Sean with a wry grin on his face, clearly enjoying himself. He cocked his head to the side and replied, "You mean he hasn't showed you, yet?"

"No, I guess I've never noticed it before. Why, should I have seen it?"

Gabriel broke in instantly, "It's not actually on my penis. It's near it. There's a big difference, there."

"Whatever. You still had your junk tattooed," Sean just shook his head.

Once Kate found her voice she asked, "Why?"

"I was a tad drunk at the time… but it looks really cool, nonetheless," Gabriel added with a sigh.

Kate started to laugh and had to wipe tears from her eyes. She held onto her belly as she bent over, "Now… I've got… to see… this tattoo."

With a slap, Sean dropped his hand on Gabriel's shoulder before replying, "That's badass."

Gabriel thought carefully about what he was going to say so as not to make the conversation worse. After a while the only comeback he could think of was, "Hey, it takes a man with real balls to tattoo his man business. I mean, it's not like the Trinity Knot's huge, or anything. That shit hurts."

"Do your parents know about it, honey?"

"I would never show them to begin with. Besides, I think it makes me look even sexier," he flashed a brilliant smile, "Wouldn't you say so, Sean?"

His friend gave him an awkward look, "Gabe, I don't get pleasure from looking at you in all of your glory, but I'm sure Kate does. Isn't that right, baby doll?"

She was hard pressed to find words, "Um…"

"Quit hitting on my wife, Sean. Ava wouldn't be too happy about that," he decided to change the _subject before it got any worse, "_So, any idea on how Kate and I can fix up the baby's room? _I_ was thinking maybe paint the walls to look like the Battle of Gettysburg with a giant portrait of Robert E. Lee painted on one of them. Ooh, and maybe even-."

"Ah, no. Our daughter's room is not going to look like a battlefield. We want it to look like a normal nursery," Kate folded her arms over her chest and became stern with her husband.

"What if it's a boy?"

"Still. _Normal_. Like cute animals or teddy bears."

Gabriel's eye twitched, "Are you seriously my wife? Does it look like I do cute animals and stuff like that? Our daughter's going to be a badass like her daddy. She'll be right out there in the middle of all the fighting, you just watch," he pulled his unloaded pistol out and started twirling it around on his finger, "So, no teddy bears or anything fluffy and cute."

"But you're fluffy and cute, Gabe," Kate kissed his cheek before poking him in the side, making him wrench away, "If you don't want to do anything cute, then what do you suggest? Just don't pick anything too hardcore."

"We'll compromise. Paint the walls a light green and decorate in Civil War designs. How does that sound?"

"Deal," she kissed his lips lovingly before pulling his hands to her belly, "I can feel her moving."

Sean cocked an eyebrow, "Isn't it a little early to be feeling the baby move? You're what, four months?"

"Try five," she corrected.

"Still. From what I've heard, most women don't feel the baby until they're six months."

"Well, my girl's special," Gabriel hugged Kate tightly, "and so is our baby. That's why I'm doing everything I can to keep them safe."

Sean looked down at his watch and said, "I think some food sounds really good right now."

**Author's Note: **Gaelic phrases & meanings from this chapter... Póg mo thóin Éireannach= Kiss My Irish Ass (pronounce it like _pogue muh ho-in air-in-ach, _as in "lock")


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

December arrived with a light snowfall in the bayous of Jefferson. A white blanket already covered the ground, making a glittery wonderland. To add to the fun of the new snow, Kate was outside with her husband riding their horses, Bo and Buster, through the snow-covered cypress trees. Kate was well into her seventh month of her pregnancy, nearing the start of her eighth, and her belly resembled a watermelon. It made her seem like she like she was carrying more than one baby since she was a slender woman.

"Sean's probably buried under a mountain of blankets, right now," Gabriel commented as he pushed Bo into a canter with Kate following his lead.

"Does he not like snow?" She replied.

Her husband laughed, "Hell, no! He's a summer boy… and that's why we're going over to his house."

Kate cocked her head to the side as if she didn't understand, "What do you mean?"

"You'll see."

After arriving at Sean's house just on the outskirts of town, Gabriel helped his wife down, and the two of them made their way up to the porch, but not before Gabriel scooped up a handful of snow and formed it into a ball. He knocked on the oak door and waited for his best friend to answer with Kate standing beside him, her feather down coat wrapped tightly around her.

It wasn't long before the door slowly opened and Sean's head appeared. His hair was tousled, and he rubbed his eyes to clear his vision, "Gabriel?"

The other male responded by pulling the snowball out from behind his back and hurling it right at Sean's face. The next second he was running down the porch steps onto the front lawn with Sean chasing after him.

"I'm going to rip your nuts off and grind them up in a cheese grater!" He yelled while running after Gabriel.

Gabriel cackled like a hyena before pelting Sean with another snowball, "You'll have to catch me first!"

Kate shook her head, and then smiled when Ava showed up at the door wiping her hands on a towel. She grinned at the sight of Sean tackling Gabriel into a mound of snow before inviting Kate into the house. After shutting the door to keep out the cold, she took the other woman's coat and hung it up on the coat rack by the door.

"Boys…" Ava shook her head in wonder, and then laid her hand on Kate's belly, "Look at how big you are, Kate. You might not make it to your due date."

"I hope I do. We still haven't gotten the baby's room finished," Kate sat down on the couch and was joined by Ava after she brought in two mugs of hot chocolate, "The baby's moving around a lot more. Not to mention, my back's starting to hurt from all of this weight I'm carrying."

"Well, come the end of January or first of February you'll have an adorable bundle of joy to keep you busy… and waking you up in the middle of the night wanting to be fed or changed."

Kate took a sip of the hot chocolate and replied, "Gabe and I have already agreed that he'll be the one getting up with the baby at night, and he'll bring it to me to be nursed."

"At least he'll learn how much fun changing diapers can be."

"Yeah, but it's worth it. I can't wait to see how Gabriel will act when he's around the baby. He's always feeling my belly."

"He'll be a great daddy," Ava winked.

The front door flew open followed by Gabriel running in with Sean right behind him, his arms outstretched ready to strangle Gabriel. Eventually he called a truce after realizing there was no use in continuing the horseplay.

"There's my beautiful wife," Gabriel leaned over the back of the couch and tenderly placed his hands on her swollen belly, savoring the feeling of it. He could feel tiny movements against his fingertips, making him smile. _I can't wait to meet you, little one, _"So, what are you ladies talking about?"

His wife squeezed his hand, and then offered her mug of hot chocolate to him, "Here, drink some of this to help you warm up. You look like you could use something to put some warmth back in you."

"You're all the warmth I need, Kate. You and our baby," he bent over to kiss her cheek, "and I can't wait to spend our first Christmas together."

"That reminds me… What would you like for Christmas?"

"Nothing. This baby's the best gift you could ever give me. You have no idea how happy I was when you told me that you were pregnant," Gabriel walked around the couch and sat down beside Kate, "After Susan died I thought my world had crashed down around me and I would never find love again, but then I met you. I don't know if it was fate or if God led me to you, but whatever the reason, I'm so blessed to have you as my wife, and to be creating our family with you. Remember, I give you my heart."

She had to wipe away a tear after hearing what he had said. _This man truly loves me. Thank you so much, God, for bringing him into my life. I want to spend every moment with him and our child, _"And I have it."

The four of them sat around in Sean's living room talking about the holiday season, the baby, and upcoming reenactments. They mainly focused on the next reenactment that was scheduled for February.

"Why would they choose that month to have a reenactment? It'll be cold, then," Kate questioned.

"They try to have them when they really happened," Gabriel set his mug of hot chocolate down on the coffee table, "Don't worry, you'll stay warm in your clothes."

"Where is it?"

"Yale, Oklahoma."

It wasn't long before Kate realized something significant about February, "But Gabe… the baby's due around the end of January into February. What are we going to do about the reenactment?"

Gabriel froze. _What are we going to do? _"I don't know, baby. We'll just have to handle it when that day comes. I highly doubt you'll have the baby while we're there."

"I hope you're right," she snuggled against his warm body, thinking of how soon it would be, "Now, what are we doing for Christmas? Are we getting a real tree, or what? I've got an itching to do some holiday decorating."

"Well, then. I guess I'll unleash you on our house," he stood up and walked over to a closed door, where he leaned against the wall with a sly grin on his face. He opened the door to reveal a whole closet of Civil War related statues and decorations, "There's no one in Marion County, or Texas, for that matter that can beat the Dawson's and Howitzer's at Christmas decorating."

Kate's eyebrows rose, "Why do you guys have a giant statue of stonewall Jackson that looks like he's doing some kind of strange twerking?"

"He sits on Little Sorrel, which is in there, somewhere," he pointed toward the closet, "Every year, Sean and I set up a line of Confederates between our houses."

"Weird."

"Shall we get started?"


	24. Chapter 24

(Disclaimer: This chapter is rated "M" for content)

**Chapter 24**

On Christmas Eve, Kate placed the finishing touches on the tree before joining her husband by the fireplace, which had a golden fire roaring in it. She slipped her arm around his waist, giving him a squeeze while he munched contentedly on one of his mother's homemade gingerbread cookies. When she looked back at the tree, a bright green gift caught her eye, arousing her curiosity.

"Now, I don't remember that gift being there earlier," she stated.

Gabriel leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Looks like Santa came early."

"Is it for me?"

"Maybe," he kissed her lips sweetly, and then went to lie down on the couch, motioning for her to join him, "Come here, baby. Keep me company since Mom and Dad are visiting their friends in Shreveport."

With her hand resting on the top of her pregnant belly, Kate plopped down beside him and laid her legs over his so that she was stretched across her half of the couch. When she turned her head to the side she found herself staring at the bottom of Gabriel's feet, "Gabe, honey, I love you but the toes in my face just isn't jiving with me."

He snickered before stretching his foot toward her and tapping her nose with his big toe, "And what's wrong with my feet?"

"Nothing. You've got sexy feet. I'm just not crazy about them being so close to my face," she teasingly ran her hand up the inside of his leg toward his private parts, finding pleasure in listening to him moan.

"Oh, stop it;" he moaned again, "You're turning me on."

"Then I'm doing my job," Kate crawled up to him to where their noses almost touched, her pale blue eyes twinkling like the bright multi-colored lights on the tree, "You're parents aren't going to be back until late tonight, so… uh… how about we take advantage of the time?"

"Are you suggesting we-?"

She pressed her finger to his lips to silence him, "Yes."

"Where?"

"Right here, right now," her plump lips brushed against his, tasting the irresistible sweetness of his breath. They lingered on his top lip, and she sucked on it tantalizingly.

Gabriel reached behind her while they kissed and pulled the bottom of her chemise up, and then gently pulled it off of her and let it fall to the floor, leaving her in her lacy lavender bra and panties. He ran his finger down the front of her heavily pregnant belly, stroking it teasingly. The tip of his finger stopped on her protruding naval, making her stare at him with a questioning look in her eyes, "What?"

"Would you quit it? That feels weird," she said, moving his hand away.

He moved it back, "Uh, uh… You're mine, now," feeling Kate leaning over him, her full breasts pressed against his chest, Gabriel placed his hands on her hips, "Come here."

"Gabriel, I will crush you. I've got a baby inside me."

"You may be pregnant with my baby, but you're still my sexy girl, and tonight you look sexier than normal," he pulled her into another kiss while reaching up to unhook her bra, but not before playfully snapping it against her back.

She shrieked in surprise, wrenching away from the stinging, "Gabriel!"

Without saying anything in reply, Gabriel slid the bra straps off her shoulders, letting it fall away and unleashing her large 'F'-cup breasts, which had started to get larger as they got ready for the arrival of the baby. He slid his hands up along her sides until they rested against her breasts, soaking in the softness of them.

While they kissed, Kate slipped her hands down and started to unzip his jeans, eager to see his tattoo, along with the rest of his features. As soon as he was free of his confinement, she felt him remove her panties with a swift movement of his hand, leaving her completely naked.

"It's been a while," he said into their kiss, letting her squeeze his pectoral muscles. They felt a little sore, most likely from hanging yards and yards of Christmas lights in the trees outside. Nonetheless, he was going to enjoy the evening. When her hand brushed over his nipple, a shiver ran up his spine, making him gasp. He felt her slip her fingers under the waistband of his boxers and remove them effortlessly.

Kate's eyes broke contact with his as they slowly drifted down the front of his body until they fell on the small, black knot work near the base of his manhood. It formed three perfect loops with a ring running through the loops. She could tell he was already getting hard, but she was surprised when her husband laid his hands on her bottom and pressed his nether regions against hers before rubbing against it, holding down on her as he did.

"Oooooh, that feels so good!" She moaned while clasping onto his shoulders, "Why haven't you done this before, Gabriel?"

He kissed her softly before replying, "Never had a want to do it until now," a moan escaped his lips and he shifted so that she was sitting on him.

She leaned forward and let him massage her breasts lovingly. Her heart pounded erratically inside her chest as she closed her eyes, imagining everything he must have been feeling, "This must be difficult since I'm pregnant. Well, it won't be long until you'll be holding your daughter."

_I hope you're right about our baby being a girl, Kate, _Gabriel pressed his lips to her neck and kissed every inch of it. He could feel her breathing become shallow as he kissed her, wondering what was going through her mind at the moment. When their kissing became lustful, his need to be closer to her grew until he finally flipped her over so that he was now on top. His silver Celtic knot necklace dangled down over her as he gazed into her eyes, his hands on either side of her.

By now, Gabriel was fully erect, and it was taking everything he had to keep his hormones stable, "I don't know how well this is going to work… Guess we'll find out."

Kate held onto his sides as she spread her legs as wide as she could what with them being on the couch. She could feel the tip of his erection touch her down below, making her tense up in anticipation. Her eyes closed to heighten the sensation of Gabriel's erection slip into her up to his base. They fluttered open after hearing him faintly grunt. The feeling of him sliding in and out made her moan in pleasure, "Oh, my heavens, Gabriel! Harder!"

He obeyed her command greatly, making his thrusts harder and deeper, "I'm not hurting you, am I?"

Kate replied with another moan. "Oh, no. This feels so good," she shifted to a more comfortable position, "You could never hurt me, Gabe. You're always so gentle with me."

The living room was filled with moans and gasps of ecstasy as the two of them neared their climaxes. Gabriel's movements sped up and his thrusting became deeper. A strong feeling building in his nether regions, "Oh, Kate, I think I'm about tooooo-," his body shuddered as an orgasm spread out in his body until it took every ounce of energy out of him. He gently rested on his wife, who had also experienced the extremely pleasant feeling. Both of them were sticky with sweat, and Kate's belly heaved as she tried to calm her breathing.

"Are you okay, honey?" She questioned and laid her head on his cheek.

His beautiful aqua eyes glittered in the faint light, "That really takes a lot out of me, but I've never been better."

Eventually, the two of them ended up in their bedroom, snuggled next to each other under the heavy duvet. They never even stirred when Rob and Mae poked their heads in to see if they were asleep. After seeing that they were sound asleep and unmoving, Mae quietly closed the door and followed her husband into the kitchen, where she got to work baking goodies for the next day while Rob left to go get his son's present ready outside.

Gabriel was pressed against his wife with his arm wrapped tightly around her waist. He had no intention of getting up early what with the weather being cold and snow piled up two feet deep. After pulling Kate closer to him, he rested his head next to hers, but all of a sudden the bedroom door flew open and Rob strode over and pounced right on top of Gabriel.

His son's eyes shot open and he scrambled to free himself, "Gah! Get off of me, Dad! Let me sleep!"

"Aww, but we wanna open presents! Wake up, Gabey boy!" Rob shook his son until he rolled over and glared. To pester him even more, he grabbed the top of the covers and started to pull them off of his son.

"I wouldn't do that, Dad. Not unless you want to get a good view of my junk."

"Son, you forget I had to change you when you were a baby, so I know what you look like buck naked," Rob got off the bed and started for the door, "So, I'm guessing that's why I found a lavender thong stuck between the couch cushions?"

Gabriel blushed bright red, and he smiled like an idiot, "Yeah, let's not bring that up again, okay?"

"My lips are sealed," his father left the room, but he could still be heard mumbling, "You're mother made strawberry waffles, but I guess you'd rather sleep. Oh well, more for me."

Upon hearing the mention of his favorite breakfast, Gabriel slapped Kate on the thigh to wake her up and shot out of bed before pulling on his boxers, jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, "Hurry up, honey! You don't want to miss out!" His voice trailed on as he ran down the hall, leaving her to get dressed.

A few minutes later she joined the others at the kitchen table, her hair not even brushed, and a 'just woke up' look on her face. She speared a waffle with her fork and dropped it on her plate before drowning it in a pool of syrup. When she looked back up, the others were watching her intently.

"What? The baby's hungry," she said through a mouthful of waffle.

Gabriel chuckled, "That baby's hungry, or you're hungry?"

Kate stuck her tongue out at her husband, and then went back to eating. She wanted to have a full stomach before doing anything else, especially since she could feel the baby kicking her in the ribs. She tapped the top of her belly in an effort to get the baby to move positions, "Gabe, your daughter is going to bruise my ribs."

"What can I say? She's going to be feisty just like her daddy. It's the Irish blood in her veins."

Their conversation was interrupted when Rob broke in after putting his empty plate in the sink, "Are you two dead set that your little one is a girl?"

"Yes, I have a feeling in my gut. We're having a little girl."

Rob turned his chair around backwards and sat down with his forearms resting on the back of the chair, "Alright, let's have a bet. If the baby's a girl I owe you fifty bucks, but if it's a boy you have to pay me fifty."

"You're on," Gabriel stood up and shook his father's hand to seal the deal, "This is going to be one bet I'm not going to lose."

"We'll see."

After breakfast, the four of them went into the living room where Kate and Mae sat on the couch while the men passed out the brightly wrapped gifts before sitting in the chairs opposite the couch. Once everyone was situated, Gabriel watched Kate intently as she picked up the green-wrapped gift and read the tag on it, smiling at him when she saw that it was from him. She stuck a finger under a fold of the paper and tore it open. As soon as the paper was out of the way, Kate opened a black velvet box and gasped in surprise at the beautiful necklaces glittering against the cushion of velvet.

"Oh, they're gorgeous, Gabriel," she exclaimed, "but why are there two of them?"

Her husband leaned over, laying his hand on her belly and replied, "One for you and the other is for the baby," Gabriel gently took one the silver necklaces out of the box and held it up for her to see better, "This is a Celtic cross… and if you look closely at the little charm hanging off of the ring you can see a knot work butterfly. The baby's is the same."

Thank you, baby. I love it," Kate tenderly kissed him before he spoke again.

"I bought one for me, as well."

"Does it have a cute, little butterfly on it?"

He chuckled, "No… Mine has the Trinity Knot," he pulled out his necklace to show her, "You can take the cross and put it on with your Lover's knot, like I did."

A few minutes later, Kate opened her last present and pulled out the yellow blanket Mae had been making, "Thank you so much, everyone. You really shouldn't have spent so much on me… but now I need to give my sexy, Irish husband his gift. Follow me," she led them outside, keeping her eyes on Gabriel to see his reaction when he saw his present.

Kate, what on Earth did you get?" Gabriel's mouth fell open when he looked in front of him; a brand new green Dodge Ram was parked in the driveway with a huge silver bow on top of the cab. Attached to the ball hitch was a sparkling white horse trailer with the words '1st Texas Cavalry: Colonel Gabriel Dawson' in gold lettering on both sides, "Shit!" He looked back at Kate, who was beaming in delight, "How in the name of Jefferson Davis did you afford this?"

She wrapped her arm around his middle and said, "Do you recall me telling you about all of that money I'd made from singing, and that I could use it for whatever I wanted it to go to?"

"Yes."

"Well, I spent every last penny on these. It needed to go to a good cause, and you really needed a new truck and trailer. Besides, it's another way of showing how much I love you."

Gabriel felt tears welling up in his eyes and he blinked them away before scooping her up in a huge hug, "Oh, my God, Kate. Do you realize what a kind, loving, wonderful woman you are? This means so much to me. I love you so much, honey."

"Merry Christmas, Gabriel," she kissed him sweetly before tossing him the keys, "How about we load up the horses after we get dressed, or after I do, and head over to Caddo Lake. I'll call the others and see if they want to join us."

He watched her intently, and then tossed the keys in the air, catching them before they hit the ground, "Do you really think it's safe for you to be riding a horse while you're this pregnant?"

"Was it safe to have sex while I'm this pregnant, especially when you're such a rough lover?"

"Touché," he started for the barn, where they kept the horses during the winter months, and said, "I'll load the horses if you'll call the guys and Ava. I have them on speed dial. You might also want to wear gloves; it's awfully nippy out… and get mine if you would, baby."

"Sure thing."


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

When the 1st Texas Cavalry was gathered in the tree line above Caddo Lake, Gabriel trotted over to them on Bo after closing the doors on the trailer. He came to a stop in front of the unit, observing them as they sat on their mounts. All of them seemed to stiffen up and give him their undivided attention. Their actions made him shake his head as he rubbed his temples; they took the rank thing too seriously sometimes.

"At ease men… and ladies. As long as I'm not in uniform, I'm not your colonel. This isn't a reenactment," Gabriel said, and then moved up beside his wife, who was sitting comfortably on Buster's back while resting her free hand on the top of her swollen belly, "Now, shall we head out?"

The group cantered along the ridge above the lake, flinging up snow behind them as they went. When the trees thinned out they could see a thick layer of ice covering parts of the lake, reflecting the sun's rays. While they were riding, Kate felt the baby moving around as if it was turning. A smile spread across her face, catching Gabriel's attention.

"What? Why are you smiling?"

"Her eyes glittered in the sunlight, "I can feel the baby turning. That means I'm getting closer to my due date," a strong kick to her lower belly made her yelp in surprise, "Good Lord! This little one is feisty. Hmm, I wonder who she gets it from… Gabriel."

Her husband remained silent as they slowed to a gentle walk. It was already one-thirty by the time they reached the other side of the lake. After dismounting, Gabriel helped Kate down before tying the horses' reins to a tree branch. Afterwards, he took his coat off and wrapped it around her shoulders despite her protests.

"Well, Gabe, it looks like Kate's ready to pop," one of the older men commented when he looked over at the two of them.

Gabriel chuckled warmly while trying to button up the coat on his wife, but gave up after they kept coming undone, "Oh, not yet. We've still got so much to do before we're ready for the baby to come out. We've still got to buy a bassinet for her to sleep in."

"You're having a girl?"

"We aren't for sure. Kate and I are hoping to get a little girl."

"Well, I'll be praying for the two of you," the man went over to talk with some of the other cavalry members while Gabriel went back to keeping his wife warm by removing his scarf and wrapping it around her neck. She immediately unwrapped it and gave it back to him.

When the scarf was in his hand, Gabriel gave her a worried look, "Kate put the scarf on. It's terribly cold out here for you to go without one."

"Gabriel, I'm being smothered with all of this on. You need it more than I do."

"Honey, I would go completely naked to keep you from getting cold."

Kate started to say something in retort, but was cut off when Sean strode over with a wry grin on his face, "Boy, wouldn't that be a sight… and a quick way to freeze your balls off," he clapped his hand down on Gabriel's shoulder, "Gabe, do you want that baby to roast? It's already in the oven; all you'd need to do is turn the heat up."

"Oh. Good point."

By the time everyone arrived back at the location where they had parked their trucks and trailers, the sun had started to set, which meant the temperature was going to start dropping. They needed to get back to town before the roads became iced over. After most of them had their horses loaded, Gabriel gathered them up for a quick meeting. Kate huddled beside her husband to listen in.

"Alright, I lied. I'm gonna be your colonel for a few minutes," he pulled out a piece of paper and unfolded it before continuing, "Okay, all of you know that the 1st Texas Cavalry was asked to go to Yale, Oklahoma for the Battle of Round Mountain again this year. Well, that's in February, and I've already registered us. We'll be camping in the trees like last time, so that should keep the wind off of us."

One of the younger men cleared his throat to get his colonel's attention, "But Sir, isn't your wife due to have the baby in February?"

"Yes, and your point is, Captain?" Gabriel responded with an arched eyebrow and his arms crossed over his chest.

"Well, she's not going with us, is she? I mean, what if she goes into labor while we're there?"

Gabriel laid his hand on the young man's shoulder, "Captain, I know you're worried about this, but don't be. I've got this under control, and-," he was cut off when Kate started to say something.

"Boys, relax! I will hopefully have the baby before the reenactment. I'm due at the end of January or first of February," she turned to Gabriel, who was mocking her, "and honey, if you don't stop that, I'm gonna kick your nuts into your body cavity. Mess with the pregnant woman and you'll get your ass kicked… royally."

"Yes, ma'am!" Gabriel saluted her sarcastically before she walloped him over the head with her scarf, "Anyway, so I hope all of you can make it. Even though it's probably going to be cold, this is supposed to be another good reenactment."

After helping Mae wash the dirty dishes that evening, Kate waddled down the hall in her chemise and silk housecoat until she came to the baby's room and heard a noise coming from inside. She poked her head in the doorway and found Gabriel tying the crib bumper to the railings of the beautiful white crib Kate's parents had sent them for Christmas. When he heard her, he turned around and smiled before picking up the mobile with the Confederate flags hanging off of it.

"Do you want to help? After all, you are going to be the mother of our baby," he handed her some of the decorations they'd received for Christmas, "or do you need to sit down, baby? I'd imagine the baby's getting pretty heavy."

She sighed, "The one thing I wish I had for this room is a wooden rocking chair. I remember Daddy telling me he used to rock me to sleep in our old rocking chair. He said that was the only way he'd get me to sleep."

"Well, we'll have to look for one," after tightening the mobile onto the crib, Gabriel folded the yellow blanket and laid it over the side railing of the crib, "So, are you planning on having a baby shower? I know Mom really wants to have one for you."

"I don't know… Whatever Mae wants to do. It really doesn't matter to me," she laughed, "Anyway; men aren't allowed to attend baby showers."

"Oh? Well, that would be a great time for Sean and I to come and crash it," Gabriel drew the curtains closed and wound up the mobile so that 'Rose of Alabama' played softly in the background while the mobile rotated.

Silence crept into the room over the next few moments as Kate thought about different ideas and plans for the room. All that could be heard was the wind whistling outside and Gabriel setting up the changing table over in the corner, since the song had stopped. After a while, a completely different thought popped into her head.

"Honey, of all things that I could possibly know about you, I haven't a single clue as to what your middle name is."

When he turned around, a smirk was plastered on his face, "My full name is Gabriel Irial Dawson."

"Ooh, sexy. Who named you?"

"Dad picked my first name, and Mom my middle."

Kate leaned her head closer to his with an inquiring look on her face, "How do you pronounce your middle name, again?"

After softly placing his hand on her shoulder he said, "EER-ee-ul. I know, it sounds strange."

"I still think it's sexy. The perfect name for my stud," she gave a little growl deep in her throat before looking around the room and sighing, "This room's going to be so pretty once we get it finished. Oh, I can't wait!"

Sometime later that evening, Kate and Gabriel were relaxing in the living room with Gabriel's parents and Sean and Ava. Kate was curled up on the couch with a blanket wrapped around her while her husband sat on the floor. They had been munching on cookies when Kate brought up an interesting question.

"So, what's the history behind the Schluter Mansion? I mean, why do people think it's haunted?"

The others turned to look at her and cocked their heads, except for Gabriel, who puffed up before exhaling the air he had sucked in. After figuring out that he was going to be the one to tell the story, he mumbled what sounded like curse words in Gaelic while rolling his eyes. He made himself comfortable on the floor, and began.

"Looks like I've been chosen to tell it," he sighed, "Well, I can guarantee you won't want to go near that place after I tell you this."

"Just tell it!" The others groaned in unison.

"Alright… Well, back in the day, around the Civil War era, the Schluter's bought the house over by Lion's Park. They had a little girl whose room was on the upper floor at the front of the house. One night, from what I've heard, she burned to death after accidentally falling in the fireplace. It was too late by the time her parents found her."

"How awful," Kate gasped.

"Anyway," Gabriel continued, "After she died, her mother could still feel her presence in the house and could hear her, so she set a doll in the window of her room and after that all of the noises stopped… That is, until several years ago when they were doing renovations on the house. When the people working on the house went to move the doll, it fell apart from having sat in the window for so long. Now, the people living in the Schluter Mansion claim they can hear the little girl moving around and talking. Some people on the ghost tours have gotten pictures of a little girl's spirit floating above the ground out by the road. Could it be her? We don't know. And I really _don't _want to find out, either."

"That is a little scary, but has anyone ever run across bad spirits?" Kate leaned over as far as she could.

"I wouldn't necessarily call them 'bad' spirits. They are just unrestful."

"Oh."

"A little ways past the jail there's a tall tree known around here as the Hanging Tree. Once again, during the war era, criminals or wrong-doers were hung on that tree. A while back, some ghost hunters were walking around town with one of those meters that measures electric activity and when they came to that tree they said the meter went off the charts."

A shiver ran right down Kate's spine, and she pulled the blanket tighter, "Don't you ever, _ever_ show me where that tree is, or I will have to hurt you. I don't want another run-in with ghosts."

"Don't worry, baby. You're safe with me," Gabriel moved up beside her, laying his hands on her belly, "I'll wait until after the baby arrives, but then again, I probably won't be able to get you away from it."

"I think it'll be the other way around, Gabriel," she planted a kiss on his lips before pushing herself off of the couch, "I think I shall go soak in the bathtub for a while."

"Okay."

In their bathroom, Kate undressed after closing the door and tossed her clothes in the hamper. Afterwards, she ran hot water in the tub. While it filled up, she pulled the elastic out of her hair, thinking about what she would be doing the next day. _I really need to visit Beth about making me a uniform. Although, I should probably wait to see how everything goes with the baby, first. _After slipping down into the water up to her neck, Kate closed her eyes and cleared her mind of all of her thoughts, but a few seconds later the bathroom door flew open and she turned her head to see Gabriel walk in.

"Sorry to interrupt your meditating. I gotta pee like a pregnant woman," he paused when he saw her glaring at him, "No offense."

"Thanks for sharing…And I wasn't meditating," she said and closed her eyes, again. The next sound she heard was Gabriel unzipping his jeans and liquid hitting liquid, "I don't want to open my eyes, do I?"

"Not unless you like watching me urinate."

She sighed, "Just put the lid back down when you're done. I really don't want to fall in again."

After flushing the toilet, Gabriel obeyed her and set the seat and lid back down before washing his hands. When he was done, he leaned over the tub to be closer to her, "I'm in the mood to do some cuddling since it's cold outside. What do you say, baby? I can wait until you get out and dry off."

"Or… you can join me," Kate reached up and pressed her lips to his while unbuttoning his shirt and tossing it away. She smiled slyly as she unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans, and then she pulled them down until he stopped her.

"Kate-."

"Soaking will calm you and loosen up your muscles," a small laugh escaped her lips, "I bet you'd be a lot warmer."

A smile crept across his face, but he then leaned forward and kissed her passionately, feeling her pull him into the hot water. When his body hit it, he exclaimed, "Sweet mother of Jefferson Davis! Do you think you have this hot enough?!

"Like I said, honey, hot water relaxes you," she kissed him again, tasting a hint of cinnamon on his lips, and laid her hands on his broad, muscular chest. Beneath her fingers his Lover's knot glittered like a star, and she could feel the rise and fall of his chest, "Tá grá agam duit, Gabriel."

The Gaelic words made him turn his aqua eyes upon her and he responded immediately with, "I love you, too. You're my love, Kate… I'm not gonna let anything happen to you or our baby."

"I'm scared, Gabriel. I'm scared of how much pain I'm going to be in when it comes. I don't know if I could bear it," a tear trickled down her cheek before he reached up to wipe it away, "I don't want to die like Susan," the last part came out as a whisper.

Seeing the fear in her eyes, he wrapped his arms around her to comfort her, "Oh, baby. You're not going to die. Susan was murdered… and Nick is dead, now," he was saddened and felt like his heart was going to break a second time, "Don't cry, Kate. I'm going to be right there with you the entire time. I'll cry when you cry, and I'll feel pain when you feel pain. You are so much more than just my wife, Kate. You're my life."

Kate moved closer to him and rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes, "Did you love Susan like you love me?"

"No. My love for you is so much stronger. We are alike in so many ways… and I never thought you'd be eager for rough sex from the way you appeared when we met."

She laughed until she felt him give her a squeeze, "Looks can be deceiving, and I guess I have a thing for hot Irish men with sexy accents."

Gabriel playfully splashed her with the sudsy water and chuckled, "What attracted you to me?"

"You're amazing aqua eyes."

Before he could answer, he yawned and pressed his cheek to hers, "Next month would be a perfect time for the baby shower."

"Yeah. I'll talk to Mae about it, but right now I feel like I'm gonna pass out."

Not long after they had gotten out of the bathtub and dried off, Kate and Gabriel were snuggled under their covers, Kate sleeping on one side since she couldn't move around a lot what with her pregnant belly in the way. She listened to her husband's gentle breathing until all thoughts faded into the darkness as her eyes closed.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Mae was busy decorating the living room with yellow streamers and balloons while her very pregnant daughter-in-law set out yummy snacks and plastic plates on the table Mae had covered with a pink tablecloth. Kate was wearing an adorable white and lavender plaid maternity shirt that tied above her belly, along with a pair of khaki pants and lavender Converse to match her shirt. She watched as Mae tacked the end of the streamers to the ceiling before the front door opened and Ava poked her head in with a wide grin on her face.

"Am I too early?" She questioned.

Kate shook her head and replied, "Nope."

"Then, where are the gifts going?"

"Over there," she pointed to the small table near the window.

Shortly after most of the women arrived, Kate helped Mae carry the cake into the living room and place it on the table with the rest of the snacks when the door opened and Cheer stepped in with a gift in her hand. She immediately hurried over to her daughter after setting the gift down with the others.

"Mama? What are you doing here?" Kate asked when she saw her mother.

"Mae sent me an invitation, and so I had to come. There was no way I was going to miss my baby girl's baby shower," Cheer held her back and looked at her belly, "Look at how big you are, baby. I can't believe my little girl's going to be a mama in just a few short weeks."

"I'm getting nervous, Mama, but I'm so excited."

"Don't worry, baby. Being a mother is one of the greatest joys in life."

Mae got everyone's attention when she slapped her hand down on the gifts table, making them jump, "Thank you. Well, as you can probably guess this is a baby shower for our precious Kate, and thankfully that boy of mine and his group of raging terrors, including my husband, aren't here to mess anything up. So, shall we have Kate cut this adorable cake that Mrs. Hamilton made?"

After every one of the ladies was enjoying a piece of the cake, Ava started to hand the gifts to Kate while one of her friends wrote down everything she received. Kate carefully opened a gift bag stuffed with pink tissue paper and pulled out a white dress covered with pink flowers.

"Thank you, Michelle, but you better hope the baby's a girl." Kate said to the red head sitting beside Mae.

"You're welcome."

All of a sudden, the front door flew open and Sean trotted in with Gabriel right behind him. However, the Irish male gave the women quite a shock since he was completely nude and not even seeming to care that the women were watching. When Kate saw him walk by she just dropped her eyes to the floor and shook her head.

"Gabriel Irial Dawson! What in the name of Robert E. Lee are you doing?! Just because you're very well endowed does not mean you can prance around the house naked in front of all of these women," Mae scolded her son severely.

Kate spoke next with a raised eyebrow, "Do I even want to know what happened to your clothes, Gabriel?"

"Bo bucked him off in the Big Cypress," Sean volunteered for his friend.

"Lovely."

Ava's eyes widened when she caught a glimpse of the Trinity Knot tattoo on Gabriel's lower body, "Whoa, that's a bit of Gabriel that I didn't need to see. No offense, Kate."

Once all of the gifts were opened, Kate stood up, her hand on the top of her belly, and made her way around the room to give hugs and thanks. When she turned back around, Gabriel had returned from their bedroom, only this time he was fully clothed. He leaned against the wall with his arms folded over his chest.

"Hey, baby… Why don't you show everyone the baby's room? I'm sure they'd like to see it," he suggested.

A bright smile shone on her face, and then she started for the nursery, "Come on, ladies. You have to see how cute the baby's room is."

As the group walked down the hallway they kept chattering away about Gabriel finally being a father after the tragedy he'd experienced before meeting Kate. Even though Kate wasn't talking very much, she felt her husband grab onto her hand and squeeze it, making her smile widen. When they arrived at the baby's room, Kate motioned for her friends and family to step inside, but when she entered she gasped.

"Oh, my God! How? Where? Who?" She hurried over to the white, wooden rocking chair sitting near the window with the yellow baby blanket draped over one of the arms.

"Well, a few days ago Sean and I ran across it when we were in Mt. Pleasant, and I remembered you telling me about wanting a rocker for the baby's room… So I had to get it for you," Gabriel wrapped his arms around her waist and grinned, "I hope you like it, honey."

For a moment Kate didn't know how to respond, "Oh, Gabriel… I love it! You have no idea how much this means to me," she tenderly kissed him while the others looked around at the beautiful nursery.

"Kate, are you still going to the Round Mountain reenactment next month?" Beth asked.

"Yes… and before you say anything about me being due around that time, I'll have you know I am not abandoning my husband even if it means giving birth right out there on the battlefield."

Later that same evening after everyone had left Gabriel was helping his mother clean up the house when he found his wife rocking softly in her new chair with her hands resting on her swollen belly, her eyes gazing dreamily at it. When she felt his presence, her eyes flickered up to meet his, a warm smile glowing.

"It won't be long, now. The baby's moving around a lot more."

Gabriel walked over to her and said, "Hopefully, it'll hold off until after Round Mountain."

"I'm due before the reenactment, but that would also mean I'd have to carry the baby out in the cold during the battle."

"Well, we'll just have to worry about that later," he kissed her and straightened.

She watched as he headed for the door, and replied, "You know, Gabriel, I love being pregnant and I'd have another baby in a heartbeat."

"Let's get through this pregnancy, first."

The sound of the phone ringing woke Kate up the next morning. After stretching, she got out of bed and pulled on her housecoat before heading into the living room where she found her husband hanging up the phone with a half smile on his face.

"Honey, who was that?" She questioned with a yawn.

Gabriel gently kissed her on the cheek, "The general. There's been a change of plans, Kate. They've pushed the reenactment of Round Mountain to the first weekend in February."

"What? But the baby will be born around then. I'm due at that time."

"I know, but I can't let the boys down," Gabriel headed for the kitchen with Kate right behind him, "Don't worry, honey. You'll be fine. Now, you might want to start packing… We leave in a week, and odds are it's going to be cold up there."

She watched as he kissed his mother on the cheek before pouring himself a glass of milk. _Dear Lord, I sure hope this baby holds off until after the reenactment. I really don't want to deliver while there, _the thought crossed her mind as she felt the baby kick her lower belly, "Hey, why are you kicking Mommy, little one?"

After putting his glass in the sink, Gabriel gently kissed his wife and said, "Did you ever get any long-sleeved dresses made? You'll need one."

"Yeah, they're with my others."

"Good. Be sure to bring them."


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

Around four o' clock in the morning on the first Friday in February, Gabriel was busy loading up all of their reenactment items for their long trip to Yale, Oklahoma. Meanwhile, Kate was helping Mae bring her dresses into the living room so that they could be loaded into the truck. By now she was very heavily pregnant, and her baby had dropped, which meant she was close to giving birth.

Mae set her crinoline on top of Kate's luggage and nudged her daughter-in-law in the arm. When the younger woman turned and saw the yellow baby blanket in her hand she replied, "I have a very strong feeling that we might have a baby soon. You're breasts have swollen and the baby's dropped. That's why I'm taking this."

"What about the carrier?" She questioned.

"It's already packed."

Soon after everything was loaded up, Gabriel returned from the truck after loading the horsesinto the trailer. He walked over to Kate and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders before replying, "You ready to go, honey? We've got a long ways to go."

"I think we are. Let's go!"

Once both vehicles were on the highway, Kate turned on the map light and leaned her seat back, picking up the book she had been reading about motherhood. She tuned out the exterior noises as she resumed reading the chapter she had left off on while Gabriel turned onto the interstate. Every now and then he'd glance over at her and smile at the sight of her large belly.

"Is my baby moving, sweetheart?" He questioned.

Kate looked down at her belly and smiled warmly, "Not right now. I think it's asleep, and I don't blame it."

Later on, Kate had her eyes closed as she rubbed her belly, thinking about how soon she'd see her baby and get to snuggle it to her. Just imagining the feeling of her baby in her arms made her heart pound. When she looked out of her window she could see the light of early dawn peeking above the horizon. By this time most people would just be getting ready for work, but they had already been on the road for about two hours and were just rolling through the outskirts of Paris, Texas. From the looks of it, not very many vehicles were on the road.

When they exited the highway onto 271 North, Kate jumped, bringing her hands to her belly. The sudden action made Gabriel worry, but she calmly said, "I'm all right, Gabe. The baby just woke up and gave me quite a kick."

"Okay. I was just worried," he took the map he had printed off the night before and glanced at it, "Looks like we take the Indian Nation Turnpike until we get to Henryetta, and then it turns into Highway 75."

"Where do we go from there?"

He looked at the map again, "Once we get to Tulsa we go through Sand Springs and Mannford, and from what this is saying, Yale is just on the other side of Mannford."

"Oh. Well, I guess I'll have to do something to entertain myself. Maybe by the time my butt goes numb we'll be there," Kate decided to do some more reading, but this time she picked up one of Gabriel's favorite novels, _The Killer Angels_. Hopefully, it would keep her occupied for several more hours until they made it to Yale.

It was around ten thirty that morning when they pulled into a park and were directed to the back where the other re-enactors were starting to set up their tents. Gabriel drove down a small path covered in mulch chips before turning around and backing the trailer up beneath the shade of some tall evergreens. After parking, he unloaded the horses and tied them up to one of the trees, and then he helped to unload all of their gear, including the tents and poles, before taking the truck and trailer to the re-enactor's parking. Kate stayed at camp to help the others set up their camp while he went to park.

"I can't believe you actually came, Kate," Ava commented while setting up the cots inside hers and Sean's tent.

"Well, Gabe and I are praying this little one holds off until we get back home, but I'm not so sure since I can feel it moving around a lot more."

"Don't fret, Kate. No matter what happens these next few days I'm gonna be by your side," she gave the pregnant woman a squeeze before heading back outside with her friend right behind her.

_I'm so glad that I have such a wonderful friend, _Kate thought as she sat down in one of the canvas chairs and watched Gabriel and Sean get the campfire started. It wasn't long when she noticed the rest of their cavalry unit starting to arrive. Some of them were already dressed in their uniforms, which seemed odd to her.

As the orange glow of the sun disappeared behind the trees, the 1st Texas Cavalry was sitting around the campfire to keep warm in the growing cold. They chatted about previous battles and upcoming ones. Kate sat beside her husband with a heavy blanket wrapped around her. All of a sudden, she felt the baby give her a sharp kick in her ribs.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, "Boy, I'll be glad when this little one comes. I don't need any broken ribs."

One of the men straightened up and asked, "Aren't you due soon, dear?"

"Any day."

"Well, congratulations… for when you do have the little one."

"Thank you. All of you have been very supportive."

Inside their tent, Kate pulled on her warm chemise while Gabriel kicked off his shoes and shoved them under his cot before going over to her after seeing her hug her belly. He started to become concerned for her and wanted to help in any way he could.

"Are you okay, honey?"

She looked up at him and smiled, "I'm fine. I just ate too much dinner," however, she knew that was a lie just to ease his nerves and to keep him from hovering over her every waking moment. _Is this the start of a long and painful labor?_ But just as the thought came to her, the discomfort she had felt only moments earlier had vanished.

Not completely convinced, Gabriel left her side and fell back onto his cot, pulling the layers of blankets up to his shoulders, "Stay under your blankets, Kate. It's going to get very cold, tonight."


	28. Chapter 28

(Disclaimer: This chapter is rated "M" for content)

**Chapter 28**

Blood, lots of blood, soaked the blankets and sheets as pathetic, helpless cries pierced his mind. She was covered in sweat, her chest and swollen belly heaving as more unbearable pain ripped her apart. The scene in front of him was a horrible replay of Susan's death, and now the same thing was happening to his beloved wife. Her hand felt soft in his as he griped it, but the fear in her eyes would haunt him for the rest of her life… and then they softened, the glow he had loved so much fading into the distance as she took her dying breath. Her hand slipped out of his and fell to the sheets beside her still body…

Gabriel shot up to a sitting position on his cot, his entire body dripping with sweat. He was still panting heavily after the terrible nightmare had consumed him. His eyes drifted over to the cot beside his and fell on the sleeping form of his wife; she was alive and not suffering, "Dammit. I've got to get out of here before these nightmares kill me," he quietly pulled on his shoes and stepped outside, not even feeling the sting of the cold night on his bare chest.

His feet carried him through the trees until they opened up onto the dark, flat battlefield. Only a few trees and shrubs dotted the landscape. Gabriel walked to the middle of the battlefield and fell to his knees as tears rolled down his cheeks. He turned his eyes upon the star-specked sky and shouted, "Why do you keep torturing me like this! Haven't I suffered enough, already?" Smoky puffs of breath drifted away as he waited for the answer that would never come to him.

It seemed as if hours had passed by as he remained on the battlefield in the freezing cold. The wind ruffled his hair and bit at his skin, but he was too miserable to care… and no one knew how much he was suffering, "Do you just not want me to have what others do? I've dreamed of having my own family for years, but apparently I'm not good enough for it," he looked down at the Trinity Knot charm on his necklace and scoffed, "Some Father, Son and Holy Spirit you guys turned out to be."

"Gabriel?"

The feminine voice behind him made him turn his head to find Ava walking towards him in her heavy coat and pajamas, "What are you doing out here, Ava? It's freezing."

"I was about to ask you the same thing."

He shrugged his shoulders and stood up, "I can't take it anymore, Ava. The closer Kate gets to having the baby, the more nightmares I have of Susan dying… only this time Kate was in Susan's place. It's literally driving me crazy."

Wrapping an arm around Gabriel's shoulders, Ava said, "You've been through so much, Gabe; losing Sue and the baby… but you've got to understand that Kate is a strong woman. I can see the strength within her," she gave him a squeeze, "Show her your strength… Now, come back to camp before you catch a cold."

"Alright. Thank you, Ava."

"You're welcome."

The two of them walked back to camp together before they disappeared into their tents; however, Gabriel knew he would have trouble sleeping. He quietly stepped over to one of the bags sitting underneath Kate's cot and pulled out the yellow baby blanket, and then he laid down on his own cot with the blanket snuggled to him. His eyes shut as he understood that Ava was right, and that he needed to let Kate do what she needed to.

The bugle sounded around five-thirty the next morning with a bunch of groans and swearing too follow; rise and shine… and prepare to listen to your general's constant griping as Gabriel knew all too well. He sighed before reluctantly throwing back the warm covers and getting up to start dressing in his uniform. This was going to be an interesting day, he just knew it.

"I heard that damn bugle… and I'm going to kill the poor sap playing it, or shove a wad of chewed gum in the bloody thing so we don't have to listen to it," Kate mumbled underneath her blankets.

Gabriel chuckled warmly and leaned over to kiss her cheek, "Get you some breakfast, honey. Today's not the day to go without it."

"I will," she said as she watched him leave the tent, but groaned and hugged her swollen tummy, "I guess I have a tummy ache this morning. Lovely… Odd, it doesn't feel like a normal one, though. I bet the baby's kicking me," after throwing her legs over the side of her cot, Kate dressed in her light pink long-sleeved dress before waddling outside, where she found Mae cooking sausage patties and hash browns in the frying pan. From the look of the empty camp, her husband was already gone, along with the other men.

"Good morning, dear," Mae greeted sweetly, "Did you sleep well?"

"For awhile, but my tummy feels like I have menstrual cramps from Hell," Kate leaned over and helped with the cooking, "Mae, what did it feel like when you went into labor with Gabriel?"

"Just like you said, like menstrual cramps from Hell… but they got stronger over the hours. My water eventually broke around six that evening, if I remember correctly."

Kate's eyes widened in panic, "Uh oh. I think I might be in labor."

"I knew it was about time, but let's not tell Gabriel for a while, because I don't want to get him worked up and worried. The rest of the guys will thank us for this later. Just let me know when you feel it's time."

"How long will that take?"

Mae chuckled, "Oh, it will be a while, yet. Be patient, my dear."

The cold wind stung Gabriel's face as he sat atop Bo while he and a few other men from his unit scouted out in the trees behind Yankee lines several hours later. They could hear musket fire above them on the battlefield, and they jumped when a cannon fired. The plan was to sneak up on the Yankees and catch them by surprise.

"Gabriel, are you okay? What happened to you last night? Ava told me you looked awful," Sean questioned.

His best friend sighed heavily and replied, "I had a very scary nightmare, and I just needed some fresh air."

"It was about Kate, wasn't it?"

All Gabriel could do was nod before he heard their signal to come out of the trees for their attack, "Enough talk about my problems. Let's got whip some Yankee arse!"

With a whoop, the 1st Texas Cavalry burst from the trees and caught the Union men by surprise. Gabriel wheeled Bo around on the middle of the battlefield and went after one of the Yankee officers with his pistol raised. After over-running the opposing side, Gabriel gave the command to capture any Yankees they found and tie them up so that they couldn't escape into the woods and alert other troops.

Meanwhile, Kate found herself leaning against a tree near one of the Confederate camps hidden back in the trees. By now, she just wanted to be alone as he labor progressed and the pain intensified greatly. She tenderly rubbed her belly, wishing that would soothe her pain.

"Oh, why are you making Mommy hurt so much?" She moaned and turned around when she heard a noise behind her. A small smile appeared at the corners of her mouth at the sight of Mae approaching.

"You're beginning to feel the worst part of childbirth," it wasn't a question. Mae knew from experience just what Kate was going through and wanted to be there to help her, "Let's walk around a little. It will help ease some of the pain."

"Shouldn't we tell the doctor?"

"I've already let him know that you're in labor, and he told me to send for him when you get closer."

After another gasp, Kate said, "Well, there's no way I'm going to the ball, tonight. I don't want to get far from camp."

"Just relax, dear. It will be over soon."

Gabriel had decided to attend the ball with Sean and Ava even though Kate didn't want to go. He found it odd that she didn't want to; especially when she loved getting dressed up in her gorgeous ball gowns. In fact, she had been acting strange all day, but he figured it was just one of her random mood swings she sometimes had. After making sure that she was comfortable at camp and didn't need anything, the two men started up the path for the ball by themselves since Ava was still in her tent getting ready. Once they arrived at the ball, Sean headed over to the refreshment table to get drinks for the two of them while Gabriel had been drug out to dance by a pretty brunette, which was strange, because the men were supposed to ask the women to dance. When the dance ended, Gabriel joined Sean on the side, where his friend handed him a glass of punch.

A little while later, Gabriel found himself watching the many couples swirl around each other as they danced to a waltz. He wished that his wife was there with him so that they could dance to it, but he knew she was probably sitting by the campfire trying to keep warm. In the back of his mind he thought something was wrong, but the thought dissipated when all of the dancers lined up for the Virginia Reel, one of his favorites.

Just on the other side of the tree line in the Confederate cavalry camp, Kate walked amongst the rows of tents to help ease her contractions. At this point they were very strong and they took her breath away every time one occurred. She was thankful to have her mother-in-law nearby in case she needed her. A few minutes into her walk, she stopped when she felt something warm trickle down her thighs, and immediately following, the pain became almost unbearable.

"Mae?!"

The older woman appeared from behind a wall tent and noticed the frightened look on Kate's face. Her eyes drifted down to a damp spot on the ground, barely distinguishable in the darkness, "Oh, Kate. You're water broke. We need to get you inside and send for the doctor."

Hearing the tone of their voices, Ava stepped out of her tent in her ball gown skirt, but she didn't have the bodice of the dress on or her crinoline underneath the skirt, yet. From her appearance, she hadn't even gotten her makeup put on or her strawberry blonde hair fixed. It didn't take her long to figure out what was happening.

"Is the baby coming?!" She tried to keep her excitement under control, but it was proving to be difficult.

"Yes. Ava, hurry and get the boys," Mae led Kate back to her tent and disappeared inside with her. She needed to get her out of her dress and into something comfortable.

Ava threw the brush she had in her hand back in her tent before she took off in the direction of the ball. She had to hitch her skirt up to keep from tripping on the taffeta material. As she ran up the mulch-chipped path, some of the men she passed gave her strange stares or whistled at her. Dismissing them, Ava kept up her speed until she neared the ball. She stopped just for a moment to catch her breath and to find the boys. Seeing them standing by the refreshment table, she resumed her running, and finally skidded to a stop in front of Rob, Gabriel and Sean. They gave her frazzled expression and appearance an awkward glance, unsure what to make of it.

"Gabriel! Come quickly!" Ava practically shrieked.

"What's wrong, Ava?" He asked, sensing the distress in her voice.

"Kate's having the baby… For real!"

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Gabriel ran for the camp with the other three hot on his heels. He had to get back to camp as fast as he could so that he would be there for her. The entire time he kept praying everything would be fine, and that he hadn't missed the birth. Back behind him he could hear Sean swear loudly when he twisted his ankle on a tree root, but that wasn't going to slow him down. Finally, they reached his tent, and Gabriel threw open the tent flaps to find Kate lying on her cot in her white chemise with the blanket pulled over her large belly. She smiled weakly at him as he walked over to her, but she moaned when another contraction overtook her.

"Oh, honey. Are you okay?" Gabriel gently brushed some hair out of her face and sat down in a wooden chair beside her.

Kate cringed and suppressed a scream, _No, I'm not okay, you twit! I'm getting ready to push something the size of The Great Pumpkin out of my hoo-hoo. Quit asking stupid questions! _"It hurts so much, Gabriel. My body's on fire!"

"I know, baby. I know," he kissed her seeing how much pain she was in, "Just think of the beautiful baby we'll have afterwards."

She closed her eyes, fighting the urge to strangle him in order to get him to shut up. _Alright, genius… Go shove a lemon up your penis and push it back out, and then tell me you know how I feel right now. _

The night passed slowly, making the family anxious as they waited. Some of them paced around outside and poked their heads in every now and then, only to be disappointed. Gabriel remained by Kate's side, holding onto her hand while she tried to relax, but she'd moan whenever a contraction made its presence known. The tent was warm despite the chilly air outside, maybe even too warm. Gabriel ended up removing his dress uniform coat to help cool him off, but when he looked over at his wife she had sweat rolling down her face and neck. Feeling the need to cool her down, Mae stepped outside to dip a wash cloth in a bucket of cold water and brought it over to the laboring woman before placing it across her forehead. Digging around in her dress pocket, Mae pulled out a claw clip and proceeded to clamp Kate's hair on top of her head to get it off of her neck.

Close to ten-thirty, the doctor lifted the blanket covering Kate's lower body to check on her progress, and smiled up at her, "You are very close; probably within the next five minutes you can start pushing."

"I'll get some clean blankets and the camera!" Sean darted out of the tent, thankful to have the cool air on his skin. He returned a few minutes later with his arms full of soft blankets and towels, as well as Mae's camera. At the older woman's request, he set everything down on a chair in the corner of the tent.

"Ohhhh! I really, really feel like I need to push!" Kate gasped when a torrent of pain overwhelmed her. She could feel an intense amount of pressure being put on her lower body and knew it was time.

The doctor pushed back her blanket after pulling on a pair of latex gloves and said, "Well, then… let's deliver us a baby."

Kate sat up with the help of Sean and Gabriel. Afterwards, the men pulled back on her thighs to get her into position. It was difficult for Gabriel to keep her leg pulled back since he had her hand in his other one. The pressure continued to build in her body, and she let out a squeal.

The doctor sat on the end of the cot waiting for her to start, "Ready, Kate? Push when you feel a contraction."

Kate squeezed her husband's hand and pushed as hard as she could when she felt a contraction rip through her body. Another gasp escaped her lips, but she kept going; the pain was incredible! Not wanting to give up, Kate gathered up more strength and pushed again after she rested for a moment. As if the pain wasn't enough, the hot tent caused sweat to pour down her face, neck and chest.

_Sweet mother of Hades! I've got to get this chemise off of me, _Kate thought before throwing her hand up, catching the others' attention, "Stop! Someone help me get this damn chemise off."

Everyone in the tent stared at her skeptically while she waited on one of them to comply with her request. She had nothing on underneath her chemise, and Gabriel knew that. The fact that she wanted to strip down naked in front of everyone made him nervous; it could have been that he didn't want anyone besides him seeing her that way, especially not the other men. She still needed to stay somewhat decent.

"Kate, you need to keep some semblance of modesty right now, and-," he looked down at her while she continued to squeeze his hand.

She pulled her hand away from his and gripped onto the collar of his shirt, pulling him down into her face, her eyes blazing, "Screw modesty! I'm about to have a heat stroke, here! Now, _someone _help me get this damn thing off!"

Gabriel stood back up, a little afraid of her at the moment, "You people heard the lady, get it off her."

Not wanting to make Kate angrier, Mae and Ava stepped over beside the cot, taking the bottom of her long chemise into their hands, and pulled the garment up over her head, leaving Kate completely naked on the cot. A sigh of relief passed through her lips once she was free from the hot chemise; she didn't care that the men were seeing the most private parts of her body. All that mattered was that she was comfortable and her husband was with her, even if he was being a little ridiculous at the moment. Mae grabbed another wash cloth and started to pat it over her enlarged breasts to wipe away the beads of sweat. As soon as she touched her with the wash cloth, Kate cried out in pain, because her breasts hurt from filling up with milk in preparation for the baby's arrival.

"I'm so sorry, dear. I didn't mean to hurt you," Mae apologized.

"You're fine, Mae. They just ache like no one's business," Kate got into a comfortable position, grabbing onto Gabriel's hand, again.

When Kate resumed pushing, Gabriel concentrated on staying calm and collected. _So far, so good. Please don't let anything go wrong, God, _he thought as he watched eagerly, "You're doing great, honey. Don't stop."

"Ahhh! It hurts so much, Gabriel!" Kate screamed. She was certain the surrounding camps could hear her cries, but that was the least of her worries.

Like any normal man, Sean decided to chance a quick glance between Kate's legs, however, at the sight of the baby's head crowning he felt himself becoming light-headed and had to look away, or he would pass out in front of everyone.

Ava snickered to herself. _That'll_ _teach him not to look at another woman's business._

The doctor readied himself for the baby as Kate continued to push, "Here comes the head… almost there… and it's out! Breathe, Kate."

She greatly took that opportunity, resting against her pillow to regain some of her strength. After a few more moments, Kate got back into position to start pushing, again. Everything would happen quickly once she got past the baby's shoulders, "Oh, my God! Why did I want to be a mother?!"

"Hang in there, a stór. You're almost done," Gabriel said soothingly as he nuzzled the side of her head.

With one final, strong push, Kate let out a loud scream and fell back to her pillow, heaving as she tried to catch her breath and make sense of what just happened. At this point, the new mother had completely forgotten that she was naked in front of everyone. She was exhausted from the long labor and delivery.

"Oh! It took Gabriel's coloring," Mae cooed when she saw her grandchild in the doctor's arms.

All of them waited in anticipation for the doctor to announce what they were eager to know, especially Gabriel, who didn't realize he was still gripping Kate's hand tightly.

After peeking between the newborn's legs, the doctor grinned, "Congratulations! You have an absolutely beautiful baby girl," he looked up at the new parents, waiting to see their expressions.

The tent was filled with happy sighs and cheers upon hearing the wonderful news, and Gabriel felt a tear roll down his cheek; finally… he had gotten the little girl he had always wanted. He leaned over and gently kissed Kate, "I love you so much, Kate. Thank you for giving me this beautiful baby," it didn't take him long to realize that it was too quiet in the tent, "Why isn't she crying?"

"Don't worry. It takes them a bit to figure out how to use their lungs. Here," the doctor gently patted the newborn's bottom, "This should get her crying."

Sure enough, the baby coughed up a mouthful of mucus and let out a loud wail, startling everyone in the tent. Now that she was in a new place, she was going to let them know she was there.

Rob laughed happily, "Good Lord, she has a set of lungs on her."

"Do you want to cut the cord, Daddy?" The doctor handed Gabriel the surgical scissors and showed him where to cut. Afterwards, he took the baby to clean her off while the new father sat back down next to his wife. Sean stood behind him, clapping his hand down on his best friend's shoulder as Gabriel sat there in shock; he was a father, now. When the doctor returned, the baby was wrapped up snuggly inside the yellow blanket, and he started to pass her off to Kate, but she shook her head.

"No. Gabriel has waited a very long time for her, so he should be the first to hold her," Kate smiled at Gabriel, who seemed surprised.

He felt himself shaking nervously as his daughter was placed in his arms, "God, I'm so nervous that I'm going to drop her," all too soon, he calmed down when the newborn opened her eyes for the first time and he was staring into pools of brilliant blue, "She's so beautiful."

"What are you two naming her?" The doctor questioned curiously.

"Shannon Cassandra," he gently stroked her soft cheek, "My little Shannon," nothing in the world could break the instant bond that had formed between father and daughter in the short amount of time she had been in his arms. His heart seemed to melt when he looked at his daughter; everything about her was perfect, "I will never let anything happen to you, Shannon. You have healed the hole left in my heart from my loss," he whispered to the small baby.

Shortly after the doctor had finished up with Kate, he left quietly, followed by the others so they could give the new parents time alone to bond with their baby. Kate had decided to put her chemise back on since she was starting to feel a bit chilly, but she kept the blankets off of her. Gabriel and Kate hugged his parents before they slipped out of the tent, and then Kate fluffed up her pillow, watching as her husband held the baby against his chest while gently rocking her.

"Finally, some peace and quiet after such a crazy evening," Kate gave a smile despite the extreme fatigue she was feeling, "Here, I better see if she'll nurse, because from what I've read, the baby needs to get special nutrients from my milk to help her immune system strengthen."

Gabriel was almost reluctant to give up his daughter, but he understood that it was to protect her, and that Kate also needed to bond with her since she hadn't gotten to hold her, yet, "Alright, sweetie. Mommy wants to see you," he very carefully passed her off and made sure that Kate had a hold of her before lowering his arms.

The feeling of the newborn suckling from her was awkward at first for Kate, but after a few minutes it became almost natural. She supported her head with the crook of her arm and pulled the blanket around her small body to keep the cold air from touching her delicate skin, "she is so precious, Gabriel. I am so happy I had her with you. I couldn't have asked for more," she leaned over and pressed her lips to his before he got up to change into his green flannel pajama pants.

"I'm blessed that I ever met you… and now look what our love for each other has created," Gabriel leaned over the cot and lovingly kissed his wife, savoring it, "Shannon is everything I've ever wanted. She's beautiful just like you, honey."

"Oh, Gabriel. You are so wonderful, even though you did make me go through a huge amount of pain to have her."

"But it was worth it, wasn't it?" He threw her a sexy wink.

Kate couldn't help but smile at his comment, "Yes, it was. I already love being a mom," she stroked the newborn's soft cheek as she continued to nurse contentedly from her mother's breast.

"We'll see when she wakes up in the middle of the night, crying."


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

Morning arrived peacefully with the sound of birds chirping in the nearby trees and metal banging around as some re-enactors started to prepare breakfast. Oddly enough, the piercing sound of the bugle didn't announce 'wake-up call', which caused Gabriel to worry when he woke up. Had he missed it and was making his men wait? He jumped off the cot and pulled on his wool trousers and boots before looking over at Kate, who stretched happily.

"Honey, did you hear the bugle call?" He asked.

"Thankfully, no," Kate bore a sly grin and held up the brass bugle, "and we won't be, either."

Gabriel stared dumbly at her and said, "How-?"

"I got up early this morning and snuck it out of Bugle Boy's tent. There was no way I was gonna let the horrendous thing wake my baby."

Gabriel just shook his head as he finished dressing in his uniform. To give Kate her privacy while she dressed in her pink day dress, he took the newborn with him after wrapping her up in her blanket to keep the wind off of her tiny body. He walked around the camp with her nestled in his arms. Even though she was in plain sight, he still couldn't believe he was holding his daughter.

"You are so gorgeous, Shannon… and I'm so happy that you're finally here," he whispered to the baby.

A noise nearby made Gabriel look up to see one of his men striding over, "Well, I just heard the exciting news, Colonel. Ah, let's see that pretty baby."

Gabriel gladly pulled the blanket back to reveal Shannon to his friend, "This is her first time being outside."

The older man smiled brightly at the sight of the new baby, "Oh, she's mighty pretty, Gabe. I'm so happy for you and Kate… By the way, how is she?"

"She's great. Back to her normal self."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Kate stepped out of the tent, wrapping a shawl around her shoulders to keep the cold off of her. She grinned when she saw her husband gently cradling the newborn, trying to shield her small body from the chilly air.

"How is she, honey?" She asked when she looked over Gabriel's shoulder at the light green baby girl.

"She's just looking around, or trying to," he leaned closer to his daughter and smiled, "but Daddy's not going to let his little girl freeze just so she can be curious. No."

_Already he's attached to her_, Kate thought before going over to where the women were gathered around the campfire, preparing breakfast. All of them greeted her happily and made room for her when she walked up.

"Oh, Kate, I just heard the wonderful news. Congratulations," a young woman said cheerfully, "How do you like being a mom?"

"I already love it," she stooped over the fire and poked one of the sausage links to test it, "but God am I sore this morning… And I thought last night was painful."

Mae smirked and replied, "So, are you ready for another one, because you know Gabe's gonna want a son now that he has his little girl."

"I think we'll be waiting a while before number two."

As the day wore on, Kate meandered around the camps and suttlery with Ava and Mae while her husband showed off their daughter to some of the other couples. She had wanted to carry on with her normal life even though she was now a mother and had bigger responsibilities. Nevertheless, Kate was ready to take on whatever challenge was thrown her way, even if it meant waking up at all hours of the night to change a dirty diaper or to nurse her child.

"Mae, do you expect Gabriel to be around Shannon a lot?" Kate questioned.

The older woman sighed, "Oh, yes… Honey, I don't think you realize just how much he's wanted a daughter. Most men want sons, but Gabriel has always felt a deep connection with baby girls. Ever since he lost his first baby it's driven him even more. He would have done anything to get a daughter.

On the other side of the park, Gabriel and Rob were walking along the path through the camps while Gabriel held his baby against his chest and patted her bottom. She had fallen asleep a little while earlier, and he decided it was best to keep holding her since it seemed as if she was comfortable in his arms. The two men made their way through the infantry camp, chatting happily about the night before; they were amazed that Kate could be so violent when she was in such a delicate state. The image of her yanking Gabriel down to her and demanding her chemise taken off entered his head, and he quickly pushed it away so as not to relive that moment.

_I'll have to remember to stay out of her reach the next time we have a baby, _he thought and then remembered the bet he and his father had made on Christmas, "So, Dad… where's my fifty bucks?"

His father turned to look at his son with a raised eyebrow, "What are you talking about, Gabe?"

"We made a bet on Christmas that if the baby was a boy I had to pay you fifty, and if it was a girl you had to pay me. Well, looks like I have a girl… So, hand it over, old man."

Rob shoved his hand deep in his trouser pocket and pulled out his wallet while swearing under his breath, "Damn… I need to not make bets with you, any more."

Gabriel grinned in satisfaction as he took the money from his father and tucked it into his coat pocket, "Thank you. Now I can use this to buy diapers for my little _girl's _butt."

It wasn't long before Gabriel had to pass the baby off to his wife so that he could get ready for the battle. He was a little reluctant to give up his daughter, but he had a duty to his men and had to load his pistol. While he was in the tent, Sean entered, causing Gabriel to turn around while fastening his gun belt around his waist.

"So, did the baby keep you awake last night, _Daddy_?" Sean laughed, pulling out his pocket watch and twirling it around.

"Nope, she slept pretty much all night."

"That's good," Sean picked up his pistol and put it away in its holster while smiling at his friend, "Well, you ready to go whip some Yankee ass, again?"

Gabriel slammed his Hardee hat on his head and said with a whoop, "You bet!"

At the end of the day most of the tents were already down and loaded up, including Kate and Gabriel's. Both of them had changed back into their normal clothes, and were getting ready to head back home to Jefferson after Kate had gotten their newborn strapped into the carrier that Mae was so smart to have brought along. It was time to begin a new chapter in their lives now that their child had been born.

"You're going home with us, Shannon," Kate cooed to her daughter, who smiled back at her.

Gabriel walked up behind his wife and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, "You ready to go, baby? It's gonna be dark by the time we get home."

"Let's go!"

For most of the long drive back to Jefferson the newborn slept soundly, along with her mother. Every now and then Gabriel would glance back to check on his daughter, and he'd smile whenever she'd twitch suddenly. From now on his life would be full of joy and compassion since he had gotten what he'd always dreamed of having.

_Now for the endless nights without sleep. Oh, well. It's worth it, _he thought as he drove down the interstate into Texas. The truck was virtually silent except for the sounds of the gentle breathing coming from Kate and Shannon. Knowing that they were content made him feel relaxed.

It was late when Gabriel pulled into the driveway and parked. He leaned over the seat and gently stroked the side of Kate's head, waking her up, "I'm sorry to wake you, honey… but we're home."

Drowsily, Kate looked out the windshield and saw the familiar front porch with its swing swaying in the breeze. At last, she could relax with her husband and baby until she had regained her strength, "Shannon?"

"Don't worry about the baby, I'll get her. You just go inside and get some sleep."

The new father quietly carried the baby into the house and removed her from the carrier, all the while admiring how beautiful she was. _You are going to be my baby girl forever. I'm going to spoil you every chance I get_, Gabriel entered the bedroom to find Kate already sound asleep in bed, snuggled far under the covers. After silently stepping past her sleeping form, he carefully laid the baby in the bassinet and covered her up so that she wouldn't get cold before heading back into the living room where he found Mae sitting in her chair by the window, reading another novel.

"Kate and Shannon are asleep," he announced.

His mother glanced up, "Let them sleep. It won't be long before Kate will be back to her old self. The first couple of days are always the most stressful."

"Do you think I can do it, Mom? Do you think I can be a good father? I barely know anything about raising a baby."

"Of course, honey," Mae stood up and pulled her son into a hug, "Besides, no one's an expert at it."

"I just hope I don't mess up."

Mae smiled, "You're going to mess up, but that's how you learn."

A loud explosion disturbed the air the next morning, causing Kate to bolt out of bed and into the living room, where Mae was standing with the screen door open. Surprisingly the noise hadn't woken the baby up, which was probably a good thing. Mae had a worried expression on her face as she kept her gaze in front of her. Kate stood beside her and watched as Rob walked back over to Gabriel, who was pulling the cylinder out of his Colt.

"See, this is why you don't put extra powder into the cylinder. The more powder you have in there, the more likely you'll have a chamber fire," Rob griped as he rubbed a black mark off of his arm.

Gabriel inspected the cylinder and then the hammer before locking the cylinder back into place, "It's never done that before. This was the first time… and I always double load my pistol to give it a louder pop."

"Well, the first time could have been your last. You always put the correct amount of grains into the chambers. Otherwise, you could lose some fingers."

"Maybe my primers are just bad."

"No, I bought them right before we left for Yale. I bet you didn't have enough cream of wheat packed in."

"Probably," Gabriel rotated the cylinder and placed the hammer down on an empty space in between the nipples before looking up, "Well, good morning, honey. How are you feeling?"

Kate walked down the porch steps and stopped at the bottom to wait for Gabriel to join her, "Absolutely wonderful. I see you're having some fun trying to blow yourself up."

"That's not what I had intended, but apparently my pistol has other ideas. So, have you eaten breakfast?"

"No."

"How about we go to the diner in town? I'm craving a stack of old-fashioned pancakes," Gabriel walked up the porch steps while placing the Colt back in its holster, "Once you get dressed we can go. I'll get the baby ready."

Many people were out strolling the streets of Jefferson when the Dawson's arrived at the bakery. After ordering, Gabriel turned his attention to his daughter and held her bottle as she sucked contentedly; he enjoyed watching everything she did no matter what it was. _When I look at you, Shannon, I wonder what my first daughter would have been like_, he kept his eyes fixed on his baby, never even noticing when their food arrived.

"Gabriel, honey… time to eat," Kate quietly touched his arm to get his attention.

"Sorry. I was preoccupied with our daughter," he turned to the plate of food in front of him, feeling his stomach rumble in protest. As he ate, thoughts of the day Nick had finally been killed snuck into the back of his mind. _He deserved to be shot after trying to hurt my Kate… and after murdering Susan and my baby girl. I hope he stays locked away in the depths of Hell forever._

"Honey, are you all right?" Kate watched her husband with a concerned expression on her face.

After realizing that he had been clenching his fork in a vice-like grip, Gabriel continued to eat while pushing his thoughts out of his mind. He needed to move on from the past before it consumed him; Susan was gone and there was nothing he could do to bring her back, "Sorry, just thinking about some things."

"Would those things have anything to do with Susan and Nick?"

Gabriel stayed silent, unsure of his emotions at the moment. Eventually, he found his voice, "Yeah. It's still so hard to accept that she's gone. I know that her spirit is still with us in the house, but it's not the same as being able to touch her, to feel the warmth of her skin when she would wrap her arms around me," he set his fork down, seeing the looks on the others' faces, "Every day I'm feeling less and less of her presence, almost like she's vanishing. I don't want her to leave me completely."

Kate felt his worry as if it were her own, and wanted to reassure him, "Gabriel, it sounds like she's finally moving on to Heaven. She can see that you're happy and knows that it's her time. I don't think she's going to leave you altogether, but she's moving toward the light. I remember Susan telling us that she was just waiting until you found happiness."

"What should I do?"

"Son, I think you know what you have to do…" Rob spoke up from across the table.

"You need to reassure her that it's okay for her to cross over," Mae added.

Gabriel sighed heavily; he knew they were right, and that she needed the finality, "Alright, but I don't think I can do it alone."

"I'll be right there by your side. She was my friend, as well," Kate laid her hand over his, feeling him squeeze it.

That evening while Shannon was asleep in their bedroom, Kate was busy folding laundry in the living room. Her mind was filled with thoughts of her husband, who was wrestling in the floor with Charlie. She laughed when the dog covered Gabriel's face with licks, but he surprised the dog when he reached up and flipped him over onto his side.

Kate laughed until she had tears in her eyes at the sight of the two in the middle of the floor, "You two are quite a sight. I'm pretty sure that you're attached at the hip."

"He's my buddy. Aren't you, boy?"

The dog barked in agreement, and padded over to his bed underneath the window where he was soon asleep. Gabriel chuckled as he moved to the couch and pulled Kate against him. She winced in pain when he pulled on her. Of course, this went unnoticed.

"Are you all right, a stór? Did I hurt you?" Gabriel looked concerned as her pained expression faded.

"No, I'm just sore, that's all. If I move the wrong way it hurts." Kate gave a smile to reassure him, and then she decided it was time for her to retire to the bedroom, but not before an earlier discussion came to mind, "Honey… it's time."

Gabriel sat, unmoving, quibbling with his emotions. He knew he needed to let Susan go and feel peace, but it was hard considering she had kept him going. Finally, he stood and joined Kate before they headed into their bedroom. _I'm going to miss her so much, but I know that she's going to be watching over us. _As if she sensed what was getting ready to take place, Susan's spirit hovered beside the bassinet, watching the newborn sleep, but she turned around when she heard them enter.

"Gabriel?" She questioned upon seeing his sad expression.

He stepped forward, leaving Kate beside the bed, and held Susan's gaze, "Susan, I've come to let you know that it's time for you to go home."

"But I am home."

"No, you need to be with God. You stayed to help me get through my grief and to help me find a new love. You protected Kate and watched over her while she was pregnant, and I thank you for everything you've done," Gabriel swallowed a lump in his throat and held back tears, "but it's time for you to step into the light and go home to Heaven."

Susan lightly touched his cheek, understanding that he had accepted her need to be with the Father, "I love you, Gabriel."

"And I still love you…I always will," he hugged her tightly and gave her one final kiss before the bright moonlight streaming through the window caught his attention and brought a smile to his face, "He's waiting on you, calling you home to be with Him."

Susan floated over to where Kate stood and pulled her into a hug, "I'll never forget any of you. Just do me one thing, and take care of Gabriel."

"I will."

With one last glance at the two of them, Susan made her way toward the moonbeam and stopped just before it. She looked at Gabriel and spoke to him through his mind as the form of a small baby came into view in her arms, _I thought you'd want to see your daughter, Hope, so you'd know how beautiful she is. Don't you worry; her mommy will take good care of her._

Gabriel felt tears run down his cheeks at the sight of his first daughter, "I know you will, Susan."

_Goodbye, Gabriel… I'll see you again._

_As will I._

Susan and Hope moved into the light and faded from sight as their spirits entered the gates of Heaven, leaving Gabriel and Kate alone in their bedroom with their child. They sat down on the bed to reflect upon what had happened; Susan may be gone, but their family was complete… for now. Eventually, Kate leaned over and kissed his cheek sweetly, causing him to look at her.

"I'm lucky to have a man as wonderful as you, even though you risk your life for me, sometimes," she sighed contentedly.

"That's my job, Kate. I'd die for you."

"I know you would, but please don't."

The bedroom was silent, except for the sound of the newborn's gentle breathing as she slept peacefully in her bassinet beside the bed. The new parents sat on the bed, listening to their daughter before Gabriel wrapped his arm around Kate's waist and pulled her against him as he fell back onto the covers. Without saying a word, he gazed into her crystal eyes while she did the same; it was as if they were speaking to each other through their eyes. Before long, Gabriel leaned his head close to hers and brushed his lips against hers in a loving kiss. Kate responded in kind by tangling her fingers in his long hair and pulling him closer to her, kissing him more deeply.

Gabriel broke the kiss after a few moments and whispered, "If anything should ever happen to me, don't despair over me like I did when I lost Susan. I want you to move on and find another man who will love you as much as I do, he tenderly stroked her cheek with his fingertips, "There's always room to love again."

"There's no one I can love as much as you. Like you said to me so long ago, I give you my heart… forever," Kate laid her head against his chest, finding comfort in listening to the sound of his heartbeat.

The two of them lay in silence, wrapped in each other's arms. So much had happened in the last couple of months that it was hard to sort it all out. However, the most joyous moment was when their daughter had entered the world. Even though they were still fairly young, they had all the faith in the world that they would be good parents. As the thoughts fluttered around in their minds, exhaustion set in, and Gabriel and Kate fell asleep lying across the bed. Outside, the moon shone brightly as it moved across the night sky.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

"Kate, hold her still while I rinse her off."

"I'm trying, but she keeps squirming around!"

The new parents wrestled with their daughter as they tried to bathe her the next morning. As far as Shannon was concerned, she had every intention of making her parents' job as difficult as possible. While leaning over the bathtub and pouring water over the baby's body, Gabriel's palm slipped on the slick tub side and he fell halfway in, getting his torso soaked with the sudsy water. About that time, Mae stepped in and joined Kate in laughing at the sight of her son.

"Come on, Gabriel. Bathing a newborn is not that challenging," Mae replied.

He stood up and pulled off his soaked shirt before drying off, "It is when she won't stop moving."

"That's why one of you needs to keep her occupied while the other does the washing and rinsing."

"Now you tell us," he rolled his eyes and wrung water from his hair.

Mae laughed at the scene, and then went over to help the new parents. She took the wash cloth from Kate and began washing the baby while holding her with her free hand. Shannon behaved like a perfect angel for her grandmother. Within a few minutes, Mae had Shannon bathed and dressed in a yellow outfit, and then carried her out into the living room, where she sat in her rocking chair and began rocking softly.

"Mom, watching you care for our daughter makes me feel that you should have had another child. It saddens me that you never could," Gabriel walked through the living room, picking up some of Charlie's toys.

The older woman looked away from him, becoming strangely quiet as if she had a secret she was hiding from him, "Yeah, but I was perfectly happy with you. If I had had another child it would've been hard for me to divide my attention between the two of you."

The afternoon turned out to be surprisingly warm for this time of the year. Wanting to take advantage of the warm day, Kate decided to take a book outside and sit underneath the tall tree in the front yard. After a few minutes she heard a sound and looked up to see Gabriel and Sean riding their horses along the trail in the cypress trees. Returning to her book, Kate was swept away by the events the characters found themselves in.

Some time while Kate was outside she heard Shannon cry and Mae's voice talking to her in an effort to soothe her. It wasn't long before the crying stopped.

_I must be the luckiest woman ever. I have the most wonderful husband and baby, and I no longer have to worry about insane people trying to kill us, _Kate thought as she listened to the birds chirping in the trees around her. It still baffled her that Mae could have that much knowledge of children when she only had had one child. It didn't matter; she trusted the woman with her life and knew she adored caring for Shannon as if she were her own.

Around nine o' clock that same night, Kate decided to go get a glass of water while her husband finished tucking in their daughter. As she made her way down the dark hallway, she had an uneasy feeling as if she was being watched. When she passed by the bathroom, a hand reached out and clamped over her mouth while a strong arm wrapped around her waist, catching her by surprise. Eyes wide with fear, Kate tried to scream, but the intruder's hand wouldn't budge.

"Where's your husband, Kate?" A deep voice asked close to her ear.

Kate was able to get her mouth free, and she questioned the man, "What do you want with Gabriel? Who are you?"

A chuckle escaped the man's lips; in a strange way he had the same accent as Gabriel and Rob, only stronger, "I'm his brother."

The man's arms relaxed, letting Kate free to turn around and see the man who had claimed to be Gabriel's brother. He still had a hold of her forearm in case she tried to run. The man stood tall in front of her, his long, dark green hair draped over his shoulders. His appearance resembled that of her husband's, but she couldn't trust him since she knew that Mae and Rob had only had one child… Supposedly.

"You can't be Gabriel's brother. Mae only had one baby," Kate stated, trying to keep some distance in between the two of them.

The man smirked, "That's not true. When they still lived in Dublin they had me unexpectedly, and put me up for adoption. Ever since I learned about this, I've been trying to find them, and I tracked them down here in Jefferson."

"But how did-?" Both Kate and the man claiming to be Gabriel's brother turned around at the sound of a pistol being cocked. Gabriel stepped out of the bedroom, his Colt pointed directly at the intruder's chest.

"You have five seconds to tell me who you are and how you got in here before I put a bullet through your heart," the look on his face was one of pure rage; his wife and child were in danger and it was up to him to protect them from any harm.

The other male released Kate from his grasp and took a hesitant step toward Gabriel as Kate sought protection behind her husband, "My name is Seamus Dawson… I'm your older brother. I've left my home in Ireland in hopes of finally being reunited with my real family. After months of searching, I tracked the rest of the Dawson's down here in Jefferson," he cleared his throat, keeping an eye on the pistol still pointed on him, "As for how I got in here… I snuck in through the back door while you were off feeding the horses."

"Impossible! I'm an only child. My parents had tried to have another but couldn't conceive. If you want to know what I think about this whole thing, I think you're full of shit."

Just as Gabriel neared his so-called 'brother', he smirked, "If you think so, why don't you question _our_ parents. They're standing right behind you."

Gabriel turned around to find Rob and Mae standing near Kate, at a loss for words. Mae held her hand over her mouth and stared at the dark green male in utter disbelief while Rob moved closer to him.

"Seamus? I-I-I can't believe this. How?" Rob stammered.

The situation became too much for Gabriel as the pieces started to fall into place. He grabbed his father by the shoulder and slammed him against the wall before getting up into his face, "Why did you lie to me?! I had a brother and you never told me?! I'm not sure who to believe, right now!"

"Just calm down, Gabriel," Rob managed to break free from his son's grasp and moved beside Mae, "I never dreamed this day would come. Yes, he is your biological brother. Soon after your mother and I were married, we ended up getting pregnant, and at the time we were not ready to be parents. After Seamus was born our very good friends adopted him. We wanted to forget all about our past when we moved here."

Seeing her son's demeanor change, Mae pulled Gabriel into her arms and held onto him as if she'd lose him, "Once we were ready to have a family we couldn't conceive not matter how many times we tried. I was ready to give up the day I found out that you were in my belly," she kissed his cheek and wound her fingers in his long locks, "We tried for a daughter when you were two, but again, nothing. Now that Seamus has found us, hopefully we can all be the family we were meant to be."

Gabriel put his pistol back in its holster and turned to Seamus, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his broad chest. It was then that Gabriel noticed the Celtic knot necklace resting on his collarbone; it was identical to the one he wore. There was no doubt in his mind that he was looking at his brother, "I'm sorry I tried to kill you. I have a new baby, and I'm overly protective right now."

"It's all right. I shouldn't have snuck in like I did," Seamus walked over to Kate in order to apologize, "I'm sorry I held you hostage. Please don't be scared of me."

Kate let out the breath she had been holding, "Trust me, I've been through scarier situations."

"Well Kate, I think you'll find that I tend to be a softie even though I look rough around the edges. By no means do I intend to harm you or your baby. In fact, I'd like to get to know all of you since Mum wants us to be a family."

"Sounds fantastic!" Kate started for the bedroom after hearing her daughter fussing, "Speaking of the baby, you'll have to excuse me while I go feed her."

While Kate was busy with the baby in their bedroom, the rest of the family was having a heart-to-heart in the living room. Gabriel was still in shock by the fact that his parents had lied to him about having an older brother, and he just wanted answers. We he turned to look at his brother, Seamus was sitting on the couch, looking through photo albums to catch up on the things he had missed out on. A photo of Gabriel in his Confederate uniform standing next to a woman wearing a blue antebellum dress caught his attention. She must have been a past girlfriend or a very good friend by the way they stood holding each other.

"Gabriel, who is this woman next to you? She's very beautiful," he showed his brother the photo.

Gabriel took the photo and gazed at it for a long time before answering, "That's Susan… She was my first wife."

"What happened? Divorce?"

"No. She died giving birth to my first daughter, who ended up being stillborn," he clenched his fists and pushed the image of Nick out of his mind, "Actually, she was murdered by someone I knew, but thanks to my best friend I don't have to worry about him any longer."

Seamus put the photo back in the album and closed it, feeling bad for his younger brother. He had no idea what it must have been like since he had never been married or ever been in a relationship. Quite possibly he would start looking once he got to know his family. While tracking them down, he had learned that his father's brother and his wife lived in town, and he was eager to meet them, as well.

"I feel like a stalker right now, but what about Riley and Moira Dawson? Do you ever talk to them?"

Rob smiled at the mention of his brother, "Yes, we keep in touch. He and Moira have a son Gabriel's age that lives down the road from here," he stood up from his chair, stretching his arms out to the sides, "I think you'd get along well with Casey. He's what some would call a ladies' man; very well toned from working on his ranch and driving cattle."

"Sounds more like a cowboy," Seamus chuckled as an image popped into his mind, "I keep picturing the guys from _Brokeback Mountain_. Is he gay?"

"Far from it. Where ever he goes he has to beat women off of him."

"Wish that was me. I need to start looking for a lass now that I live here in Jefferson," he smiled when Kate returned to the living room carrying Shannon close to her chest. Unfortunately, the baby was now wide awake, "Any suggestions?"

Kate passed the newborn off to Gabriel, and asked, "For what?"

"Where I can find myself a woman. I'm tired of being single."

"My dad's younger sister, Rebecca, is single. Look her up on Facebook. I think you'll like her."

Seamus thought about it for a little while, "I think I just might do that when I get home. Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Not long afterwards, Seamus started for the front door in order to head to his new home on Line Street. He hugged his parents and brother before turning to Kate, hugging her, as well, and being careful not to hurt the baby. As he stood with the screen door open, Mae spoke up.

"Are you stopping by tomorrow?"

He threw his mother a warm smile, "I was planning on it… Just as long as Gabriel doesn't try to mess up my gorgeous face with that gun of his."

Gabriel shrugged his shoulders, "Sorry. Didn't want my wife kidnapped."

"With that, I shall take my leave," Seamus kissed Mae's cheek and started down the porch steps, calling back, "Goodnight, everyone!"


	31. Chapter 31

(Disclaimer: This chapter is rated "M" for content)

**Chapter 31**

The next afternoon turned out to be just as beautiful as the day before, what with the temperature being in the upper sixties and the sun shining brightly. The Dawson's took advantage of the warm day to spend time outside; Gabriel and Seamus were busy cleaning tack and chatting happily about Seamus's life in Dublin while Mae and Kate sat in lawn chairs, sipping on homemade lemonade as they watch Shannon nap on a blanket out in front of them. Rob was in the middle of repairing a broken fence railing along the driveway when the sound of tires crunching on the gravel drive caught his attention, and he recognized the slate blue Toyota Tundra as belonging to his younger brother, Riley. After the truck parked beside his truck, Rob went over to greet Riley and his wife, Moira, who stepped out of the truck wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat and cat-eye sunglasses. Her long, pale blue wavy hair was pulled to the side in a low ponytail. As for her husband, he kept his medium green hair cropped, resembling that of Rob's.

"Who's that?" Kate asked curiously, lifting her aviators to get a better look at the new arrivals.

"That's Rob's brother, Riley and his wife, Moira," Mae pulled Kate to her feet so that they could meet the others, "Come on, you'll like them."

Kate picked Shannon up and carried her as the women joined Rob, Gabriel and Seamus by Riley's truck. As they approached, Moira caught sight of the newborn in Kate's arms, and squealed excitedly.

"Oh! There they are! I can't believe I'm finally meeting you and little Shannon," Moira shook Kate's hand enthusiastically before looking down at Shannon with a huge grin on her face, "Well, isn't she just a spitting image of Gabriel, but she's much prettier."

"Hey, I heard that, Moira," Gabriel called over his shoulder from where he stood talking with the other men.

Moira waved him off and turned her attention back to Mae and Kate, "When Mae texted me yesterday to tell me that the baby had been born, I told Riley we had to come by today to see all of you, and so I could meet you, Kate."

"Well, I'm very delighted to meet you, as well," Kate shifted Shannon in her arms to a more comfortable position.

Mae looked around at the group before asking, "Now, where is that boy of yours? I haven't seen him in ages."

"He'll be along. I'm surprised he's not here yet; he left right after us."

The sound of a horse's whinny in the distance caught their attention, and all of them turned to see a brown and white paint galloping up the driveway with a light green male around Gabriel's age on his back. As he neared, Kate could see muscles bulging underneath his shirt, and every time his arms flexed, she thought she was going to have a stroke. Like her husband and Seamus, he had long hair, but instead of all of it pulled back into a ponytail, he just had the front sections pulled back. Kate's eyes drifted over his body, inspecting it closely. The way his jeans hugged his hips struck her fancy and caused her to blush.

_What is it with all of the Dawson men looking like hunk-cicles? _She leaned over to Mae and whispered, "Why do all of you women have to pop out men that look like strippers?"

"You're married, dear," the older woman giggled.

"I know, but it still doesn't mean I can't look."

The strikingly handsome male pulled his horse to stop near the oak tree. That was when Kate noticed the baby girl sitting in front of him in the saddle. She looked to be around a year old. After he dismounted and lifted the baby into his strong arms, he turned around to join the others, a broad smile on his face.

"Well, what took you so long, Casey? You were right behind us," Riley questioned his son.

Casey rolled his eyes, "Dionysus decided to take his sweet-ass time and didn't feel like running, today."

"He looked like he was just now."

"Only because I spurred him that last mile."

Kate walked over to where he stood, just waiting to introduce herself. When he looked her direction, she noticed that his eyes were just like Gabriel's, only a shade darker. Overall, he looked like every woman's dream guy, "Hi! I'm Kate!"

A smile crept from the corners of his mouth as he gave her a quick look up and down, but his eyes seemed to linger on her chest for moment, "It's great to finally meet me cousin's wife. You're even prettier than he was saying," again, the Irish accent sent shivers throughout her; she'd never get tired of hearing it.

"Who's this little cutie?" Kate gently pinched the baby's cheek and giggled when the infant smiled at her.

He looked down at the little girl in his arms and replied, "This lil' tyke is me offspring, Tate."

"I thought so. Will your wife be joining us later?"

"Me wife? Nah. This piece of sexy awesomeness is divorced," he gave Kate a wink, "It's just me raising Tate… Well, Mom and Dad babysit her during the day while I'm busy working me ranch."

"Hey, Casey… when are we going to get some fresh eggs from you?" Mae questioned with her hands on her hips, "The store-bought ones don't taste as good."

"When me girlies go off strike; they're refusing to lay right now."

"Well, you know I'll be waiting."

During the afternoon, the family sat around outside talking and laughing with each other while the babies rested on the blanket. Talk of reenacting was brought up, which excited Gabriel since he thoroughly enjoyed doing it. What surprised him was when Casey said he wanted to join in, along with Seamus and Riley, who nodded in agreement. It was a splendid idea, considering his unit was always looking for new recruits, and what better way to get some than from your own family. What really shocked the men was when Kate voiced her thoughts.

"You know, I'm ready for a wardrobe change. Sign me up, too!" She said excitedly; she didn't want to give up wearing her dresses, but she wanted to try something new.

All of them watched her with expressions of amusement plastered on their faces, especially Gabriel. He was warming up to the idea, because he had been hoping Kate would want to try riding in his unit alongside him.

"Oh, what the hell… We need a woman in our cavalry to keep all of these men in line," Gabriel laughed, "but have fun trying to flatten your rather voluptuous bosoms."

Casey pinched the bridge of his nose, and squeezed his eyes closed, "Oh, for Pete's sake! Just say 'boobs', Gabe! Stop being such a dandy," he shook his head in exasperation.

Gabriel rolled his eyes at his cousin's uncouth comment, "Fine. Kate, you need to get a bandage to flatten your ginormous _boobs_ so you don't resemble a woman. Is that better, Casey?" He looked back to his cousin, who nodded in approval.

Feeling the need to play along with their little game, Kate cocked her head to the side, staring right at Gabriel, "Okay, and while I'm at it, I'll shove a rolled up wash cloth down my trousers to help me with my manly impression."

"Hey, now," Casey interjected, "We don't always walk around with boners. Some of those pants are just really tight on us and make certain things stand out."

"Really, now…Seems you might need the wash cloth more than I do, now that I get a good look at you," She said in a snarky manner, keeping her gaze on Gabriel's cousin.

Casey put his hands on his hips and puffed up his chest to make him appear bigger, "What are you getting at, Kate?"

She smirked, "I think the reason you ride such a big horse is to make up for what you lack in the manhood department, if you get what I mean."

His mouth fell open as her words sank in, leaving him standing there unable to speak. Back behind him, Gabriel was on the ground in a fit of laughter.

"Ooh, feel the burn!" Gabriel called.

"Oh, now I know you didn't just go there," Casey said.

Kate snapped her fingers at him and replied cockily, "Yes, I just went there. How does your ego feel, now?"

Unable to think of any good comebacks, Casey sat down in his lawn chair, keeping his mouth shut so that he wouldn't make the situation any worse. He had to admit it, Kate had an attitude, and she just used it on him. Being shown up by a woman was like pouring salt in the wound.

"Kate, one… Glitter Britches, zero," Rob added to keep the fun going.

That evening, the family moved into the house since the weather had turned chilly, and they sat around in the living room discussing the training each of the new cavalry members would have to go through before they would be ready to take to the battlefield. It would involve long days of tactics and weaponry to start off. Eventually all of their hard work would pay off in the end, because Gabriel had an exciting announcement to make.

"Listen up," he held up a piece of paper with the Union and Confederate flags at the top of it, "I am so happy to have new members in my cavalry. Why? Because I am going to try to get us into the mother of all reenactments…"

Everyone in the room sat on the edges of their seats, eager to hear the news. It must be a good one from the way he held his smile. Finally, he gave them the answer.

"The 150th anniversary of Gettysburg."

The room erupted in pandemonium at his news. Rob was on his feet practically delirious with excitement. Even Kate was ready to run around screaming. After a few minutes, all of them settled down enough to let Gabriel explain what he would have to do to make the trip of a lifetime possible. Most of them were ready to head out then and there, but the end of June was still several months off. That would give Kate enough time to lose her baby belly and visit Beth to get a uniform made. The thing that worried her was how she would get a gun. Most likely Gabriel had his sources, and could get her a pistol or two; Lord knows she was handy with them.

While the others popped the movie _Gettysburg_ into the DVD player for a movie night, Kate carried her daughter into the nursery to change her very ripe diaper. As Kate held her breath to keep from smelling the fumes, she wiped the baby's bottom, and Shannon smiled up at her as if she was laughing at her mother. The expression on Shannon's face reminded Kate of her husband's face when he was up to no good.

"You look so much like your daddy, Shannon." Kate fastened the new diaper on her before wrapping her little body in her yellow blanket. Afterwards, she sat down in the rocking chair, lifting up the bottom of her shirt to let her baby nurse. Once she had latched on, Kate started to rock while thinking about Shannon going to the reenactments with them. _I'll have to get Beth to make you a little outfit so you'll fit in with everyone else. You'd look so cute with a baby bonnet on, _Kate softly planted a kiss on the baby's head, savoring the softness of her skin against her lips. The little pink bow in her hair stood out against her green fur, _At least Daddy lets me put bows in your hair. Maybe I can convince him to let me get your ears pierced in a few months._

After laying Shannon down in her bassinet so that she could sleep, Kate returned to the living room to find the others enthralled with the movie, for they kept their eyes fixed on the screen. A big bowl of buttery popcorn sat between Gabriel and Seamus, in which everyone dug into. The smell of the popcorn beckoned Kate closer, and she made her way over to the couch and picked up the bowl before sitting down in its spot. On the screen, a cannon fired, taking out an entire regiment. The brutality of the scene caused the men to shout about how awesome the effects were.

"Boys! Keep your voices down; I just put Shannon to bed. If she wakes up, you guys will be the ones to get her back to sleep, which is going to be rather difficult for you since you don't have big ta-tas full of milk," Kate was not happy that they were making so much noise while her baby was trying to sleep.

A few minutes later, the fighting had turned more intense when General Reynolds and his men took to the field, but tragedy struck as the Union general fell off his horse with a bullet in the back of his head. This made Gabriel jump to his feet in excitement.

"That was epic! Down with you, Billy Yank!"

Immediately following, the sound of the newborn crying in their bedroom made him cringe. When he glanced over at Kate, she was glaring at him from underneath her long eyelashes, her eyes smoldering. Seamus scooted as far away from her as he possibly could to avoid getting hurt.

"Gabriel Irial Dawson!"

Her husband tried to back away slowly, but she was already standing in front of him with her arms folded over her chest, "Oops. I swear it was an accident."

"My foot up your ass is going to be an accident, too. Now… go get your daughter back to sleep since you woke her up."

"But, honey-."

"Go!" Kate pointed toward the bedroom and kept her eyes fixed on him. Once he had disappeared down the hallway, she turned her piercing gaze on the rest of them, who sat rigid in their places, afraid she would pounce on them, next, "And if any of you other hooligans wake my baby, I'll make you change the next dirty diaper… and at the moment they are nice and ripe."

Meanwhile in the bedroom, Gabriel found himself walking around the room while holding Shannon against his shoulder and rubbing her back in an effort to dry her tears. She continued to cry no matter how long he walked around the room. Thinking she might calm down if she was on her belly, Gabriel laid her down on the bed, and then sat down beside her, stretching his legs across the bed. Laying her down just made her angry.

_Dear God, Kate's gonna kill me if I don't get her back to sleep, _Gabriel gently patted the baby's bottom as he thought of ways to calm her down, "Shannon, please stop crying for Daddy. Mommy's already mad at me for waking you up," while lying on his back an idea popped into his head, and he began to sing, "_Come by the hills to the land where fancy is free. And stand where the peaks meet the sky and the loughs meet the seas. Where the rivers run clear and the bracken is gold in the sun. And the cares of tomorrow can wait till this day is done," _Gabriel glanced down at his daughter, who had stopped crying, but she still had tears in her eyes; it seemed as if the song made her relax.

The new father began the next verse; however, he was joined by another voice. When he looked toward the doorway, Casey was leaning against the doorframe, a smile shining as they sang, "_Come by the hills to the land where life is a song. And stand where the birds fill the air with their joy all day long. Where the trees sway in time and even the wind sings in tune. And the cares of tomorrow can wait till this day is done."_

_C_asey had, also, sat down on the bed beside his cousin and carefully stroked Shannon's cheek as he looked down at her thoughtfully. Seeing her small form reminded him of when his own daughter had been a newborn. A quiet knock on the doorframe made the men look up to see Seamus stride in. He stood next to the window, and together, the three men sang the last verse, "_Come by the hills to the land where legend remains. The stories of old fill our hearts and may yet come again. Where the past has been lost and the future is still to be won. And the cares of tomorrow can wait till this day is done."_

Standing just outside the bedroom door was Kate, who had heard the men singing to her daughter. A small smile peeked out from the corners of her mouth; she would have to let Gabriel put Shannon to bed more often, knowing that his singing was a way to relax her. Not wanting to disturb them, she made her way back to the living room, and resumed the movie. As she watched the battle unfold, she hoped that the 1st Texas Cavalry got into the reenactment, but first they would have to survive the training.

_This is going to be very interesting, _Kate thought, stuffing popcorn into her mouth as the men returned to the room. None of them said a word, afraid they would wake Shannon, again.

It was past midnight by the time the movie credits rolled up the screen, and everyone in the living room had since passed out. Gabriel was stretched out across the couch with Kate resting on top of him, her head on his chest and his arm wrapped around her. Seamus was reclined in Rob's chair, and snoring rather loudly while Casey was sprawled out on the floor with Tate nestled against his side. The only light in the room was from the TV screen. As the night crept by, the Dawson family slept peacefully.

**Author's Note: **I do not own the song "Come By the Hills".


	32. Chapter 32

(Disclaimer: **Read at your own risk.** Rated "MMM" for violence and Fifty Shades of Grey kind of content)

**Chapter 32**

"I wonder if Gabriel is going to let us train with the pistols, today." Kate mused as she sat atop Buster while waiting on her husband to show up.

Thanks to Casey, Seamus and Riley had horses to train with and eventually ride at the reenactments. Seamus was on a blue roan gelding named Hermes, and Riley had Athena, a chestnut mare. While they waited on Gabriel and Rob to join them in the middle of the pasture, some of them decided to get used to their mounts by having them walk in circles or back up a couple of feet. The rest just sat on their horses and wondered what was taking Gabriel and Rob so long to meet them.

Sean stretched his arms above his head and cracked his neck when he leaned his head to the side, "I don't know, but if he doesn't hurry up and get out here, I'm going to need the Jaws of Life to remove this wedgie I got going on here."

"Speak for yourself," Casey shoved his hand down the front of his pants to 'readjust' his man goods. "At least your balls aren't plastered to your thigh. I'm not made to straddle a horse for this long."

Kate gave him an awkward look as if she were repulsed by his actions, "I'm so glad I don't have that problem. You men are disgusting."

To annoy her even more, Casey pulled his hand out of his jeans and thrust it into her face, "Here… smell."

As soon as Kate saw his hand in her face, she slapped it away and kicked him out of his saddle, where he fell to the ground and landed on his stomach, "I can see why your wife cheated on you; she didn't want to put up with your nasty ass."

"It's just ball sweat!"

Before Kate could reply to his comment, the sound of horses galloping caught their attention, and when the five of them looked toward the house, Gabriel and Rob were heading their way on Bo and Yankee. The two men slid to a stop in front of them, and Gabriel tossed a clear bag full of brown, round cereal to Casey. His cousin stared at the cereal curiously, but looked up at Gabriel from where he still sat on the ground after being kicked off of Dionysus. Gabriel pulled a .44 caliber pistol out of his saddle bag and tossed it to Kate before pulling out three more pistols. Seamus, Riley and Casey took the guns from him and inspected them closely.

Gabriel sighed, rolling his eyes, "Casey, would you do us all a favor and please get back on your horse. The only way you are going to be dismounted cavalry is if Dionysus gets shot out from under you."

"Where were you, Gabe?" Casey questioned.

"Dad and I were putting the babies down for a nap, and making sure that Mom and Ava were okay with us leaving them in their care. Any more questions?"

He shook his head. Once Casey was situated in his saddle, again, Rob pulled the hammer back on his pistol to let the cylinder rotate freely in preparation to show them how to load theirs. They watched intently as he measured out the correct amount of black powder for each of the six chambers and poured it into them. Afterwards, he packed the powder down with the pistol's ramrod.

"Next, you pack down two or three-," Rob searched around for the bag of cereal. He found it in Casey's lap while the younger male shoved handfuls of the cereal into his mouth, "Really?"

Gabriel slapped the palm of his hand against his forehead, "Casey, would you stop eating all of the ammo?"

"What? I'm koo koo for Cocoa Puffs."

"Let this be a lesson for next time, Gabriel… Don't get the cereal that people actually like," Sean quipped.

All messing around aside, each of the new cavalry members attempted to load their pistols while sitting on their horses. Normally, this would have been done before they mounted up, but to save time, Gabriel made them do it while on the horses. As soon as they had them loaded, Gabriel had each of them pop a round off to get the horses used to the loud noise right by their ears. Surprisingly, only Riley's horse shied away from the noise. After getting her under control, Riley rode her back over to the others and stopped her beside Kate and Buster.

"Your horses need to be comfortable around loud noises. Trust me, you don't want to get thrown when you're in the middle of a battle," Gabriel shot off a round from his Colt right next to Bo's head, and the horse never even flinched, "The one thing you have to watch out for is the cannon fire. Do not get near a cannon if you can keep from it. Those damn things will make your ears ring… and can even spook your horse."

They shot off the rest of the rounds before handing the pistols back to Gabriel. After putting them away, he had Sean run them through basic drill of riding in two rows side by side and then falling back to form two columns right behind him. It took them a while to get their horses to cooperate with the sudden command changes, but eventually they got them to move into formation fairly quickly. By no means were they ready to go onto the battlefield, but it was a start. Gabriel and Rob sat on their horses, watching Sean lead the men and Kate through a drill where they would trot together as a whole unit with only inches between them.

_They don't look too bad, but the hard part is going to be when they learn how to ride and shoot. That is going to be interesting, _Gabriel thought to himself before cantering over to join Sean in the drill they were working on.

Meanwhile, Mae and Ava had headed outside in order to tend to the garden and flowerbeds. They brought a baby monitor with them just in case Shannon or Tate decided to wake up. Soon, they were pulling up weeds while talking about casual, everyday things.

Back in the pasture, Gabriel had set up some small watermelon halves on posts in order to demonstrate the use of the saber. The rest of them were on the sidelines waiting for him to begin the exercise. After trotting Bo down to the end of the course, he got situated in his saddle, pulling his sword out of its sheath. With a kick to Bo's sides, the bay horse cantered down the course while Gabriel swung the sword from side to side, tapping each melon as he went, which sent discs of the fruit flying. As soon as he had finished, he rode over to the group and handed the sword to Kate. Surprisingly, Kate proved to be handy with a sword since she managed to slice every melon. Casey, on the other hand, failed miserably, and even managed to end up on the ground, again.

After everyone had tried the course, Casey headed off toward the house to use the bathroom and to check on the babies. As Casey was on his way towards the house, however, a mysterious figure entered the house through the back door and headed towards the nursery, where Tate and Shannon were sleeping. The person scooped up both babies and placed them in baby carriers. Neither of them woke up. Afterwards, the person laid a note in Shannon's crib, and then proceeded to leave the house. Outside, Casey tied Dionysus up to the porch railing and he waved to Mae and Ava, who had dirt halfway up their arms from working in the flowerbeds, and he disappeared into the house.

At the same time the stranger was leaving through the back door, Casey had finished up in the bathroom and was walking towards the nursery. He pushed open the door to find the room completely empty, "Hey, where's the munchkins?" He looked around, confused. Then he noticed the note in Shannon's crib. As he read it, his eyes rapidly widened in horror as he realized exactly what just happened to his daughter and Shannon. Casey hurriedly left the room and headed out of the house. He had to find Gabriel and Kate; they'd know what to do.

While the others were taking a break from the training, they sat around on their horses chatting about getting fitted for uniforms. A few minutes later, they looked up to see Casey and Dionysus galloping back to them like a bat out of Hell. From the look on his face they knew something was seriously wrong. They skidded to a stop in front of Gabriel, who eyed him suspiciously.

"What's got your panties in a twist, Casey?" Gabriel questioned.

"The b-babies are g-gone!" Casey stumbled through the words as he was still in shock.

"What do you mean they're gone? They're babies, you retard. They can't just crawl out of their crib and walk off," Kate had her hands on her hips and was ready to kick him again.

Casey pulled the ransom note out of his jeans pocket and threw it at Gabriel, who read it closely, '_If you ever want to see your precious little brats again, meet me at Oakwood Cemetery by dusk. Guns will not help you, this time. Max.' _He began to shake with rage, and crumpled the note up before tossing it behind him. Kate had also read the note, and was starting to panic; her baby was gone and she may never see her again.

"Damnú air!" Gabriel growled, and then kicked Bo into a gallop toward the house, followed by Kate and the others.

Elsewhere, at the cemetery, Max was waiting rather impatiently. He had been planning this confrontation ever since Nick died. He paced back and forth; picturing Gabriel's face when he found out his daughter was missing. And what better place to meet, right next to Susan's grave. It would only torture Gabriel further, having to return here. Shannon and Tate were still fast asleep in the carriers, unaware of the danger they were in. Max looked up at the sky. What was taking so long? His impatience was growing. He didn't want to be saddled with the burden of the two babies for much longer…

Back at the Dawson home, the rescue party was preparing for saving the babies. Knowing very well that it might get nasty, they made sure that everyone in the group was armed and ready.

Mae and Ava were distraught once they had learned that Shannon and Tate were missing. They had been right outside when the babies were taken, and yet at the same time they were furious that Max dared to show up and kidnap two little girls from their home.

As they prepared for the upcoming confrontation, a few hours had passed. Kate stepped outside, watching the sun set. She felt so confused. So many emotions came to her, one after the other, but the most dominant of her emotions was the fear of never seeing her daughter again. She felt so helpless. She wished there was something more that she could do to help, but they were going to be moving out as fast as they could. A noise behind her caught her attention, and she turned around to find Gabriel walking out the screen door with Sean by his side. The men carried with them pistols even though Max had said guns wouldn't help them. They stopped at the bottom of the porch steps beside Kate.

"I thought Max said don't bother bringing guns," she mentioned.

Gabriel gave his wife a sideways glance, "Do you really think we're going to listen to him? We're men, we solve problems with guns."

"Well, I'm not going to be defenseless, either," Kate pulled out from the waistband of her pants a sharp double-edged knife, "If things get nasty, I've got my little friend."

The two of them were stunned that she'd have a knife on her. Gabriel thought, _hasn't she ever heard of the phrase 'it's like taking a knife to a gun fight'? It's just something you don't do, _he knew she was already on edge from the situation, and he was not about to mention that to her for fear of getting her knife in his face.

While the three of them were standing in the front yard, Casey led their horses around to them, "So, tell me… why we are riding horses to a cemetery. Wouldn't it be more efficient to take the truck?"

Gabriel said, "Because I prefer a quieter form of transportation. If he can't hear us coming, then he won't try to run."

"Good point," Casey mounted up on Dionysus, "So, what part am I playing in this whole thing?"

"The 'you don't say a damn word' part. Got it?"

Casey nodded as the other three got in their saddles. This was going to be an interesting evening. Mae and Ava had decided to stay behind so that they wouldn't be in the way. Mae was distraught, knowing she was part of the reason the girls had gotten kidnapped, but Ava tried her best to calm the poor woman.

At the cemetery, Max was still impatiently waiting for the rescue party. His pacing became monotonous. The babies had since woken up, and he kept them preoccupied by providing them with toys; he did not want to deal with two crying infants, right now.

Max looked up again, noticing the sun had set by now, "Where are they? They're taking their sweet time."

While Gabriel, Kate, Sean and Casey rode through the town in the direction of Oakwood Cemetery, Gabriel appeared to be uneasy about something. Oakwood Cemetery: the place he swore he would never step foot in again. Why did it have to be the same place Susan and his child were buried? He kept his focus on rescuing his daughter and Tate. _I will get you back, Shannon. I promise you that… and then I'll make Max pay for what he's done. No one kidnaps my daughter without getting their ass handed to them. _

A few minutes later, the rescue party arrived at the entrance to the cemetery, and Gabriel sucked in a breath of air; the last time he had been here, he had laid his wife and child to rest. Even though years had passed, it still brought back painful memories. He closed his eyes for a moment in hopes of erasing the heart-wrenching scenes from his mind. A touch on his arm brought him back, and he looked over to see Kate watching him, a concerned expression on her features.

"Gabriel… Our child needs us. We have to go in there," she said.

He just nodded before the four of them rode through the entrance. They moved along the winding road toward the back of the cemetery, passing the grave of Diamond Bessie along the way. They searched the cemetery for any sign of Max, but so far he was elusive to them. Deciding to continue their search on foot, they dismounted from their horses and walked among the gravestones until Gabriel stopped suddenly.

"What is it Gabe? What do you see?" Casey asked, as he didn't have a clue why his cousin had stopped so abruptly.

Gabriel's heart dropped through his chest, _no… it's like he knows the best way to break me. _He stared in front of him at Max, who leaned against Susan's gravestone. When the other man saw Gabriel, he sneered and tapped one of the baby carriers with his foot to show him what he had.

"Now, Gabriel… Don't do anything stupid," Sean held on to his friend's upper arm to keep him from rushing over to his baby. He had been smart enough to contact the police to let them know what was getting ready to go down so that they could be waiting nearby to arrest Max.

Gabriel turned to Sean, his fingers brushing the hilt of his pistol, "Let's go rescue my baby girl, Sean."

All of them crossed the road to meet Max at the gravesite. When they stopped in front of him, Max crossed his arms over his chest, "Well, I guess you do want your little brats back. Otherwise you wouldn't be here right now."

"Why did you take our babies?" Gabriel questioned calmly.

"To get you right where I wanted you, duh. You hate this place more than any other, and it's the perfect place to finish you off for good. That way you can be with your lover and child, again."

Kate spoke up, "Why do you want Gabriel dead?"

Max turned to face her, a nasty look on his face; he remembered the day he had raped her, "To get revenge for killing Nick."

The sound of Sean clearing his throat caught their attention, "Excuse me, but that was me who killed Nick, not Gabriel."

"Fine. I'll get rid of both of you," Max turned his gaze on Casey, "Who's Pretty Boy, here?"

Gabriel pulled his cousin beside him, "Casey is my cousin, and the other baby you kidnapped belongs to him."

Max rolled his eyes and sighed heavily, "Oh, my God. You people just keep multiplying!"

The entire time the men were confronting each other, Kate kept her eye on Max's hand. He reached back behind him and gripped something, and she guessed it was a gun. She had to do something before he pulled it on the others, but what could she do? As the confrontation heated up, she saw him whip out the pistol from behind his back. Before he could pull the trigger, Kate got in front of him and gave him a round house kick to the head, knocking him to the ground. The other men were stunned by what she had just done. After kicking Max's pistol out of his reach, Kate jumped on top of his torso and pulled her knife out from behind her before pressing the blade to the soft tissue of his throat. She had moved quickly for someone who had given birth just days before.

Kate turned to Gabriel as she held Max's shoulders to the ground with her free hand, and yelled, "Grab the babies and get out of here!"

Gabriel just stood where he was, unable to make his feet move after seeing his wife tackle a grown man to the ground and put a knife to his throat.

"GABRIEL! GO! I can't hold him for long!"

Casey was the one to run over to the two carriers and snatch them up before he took off in the opposite direction with his cousin. Kate watched as they ran back the way they had come, but she turned back to Max after feeling him get his arm free, and punched him square in the nose. Max cried out in pain as Sean rushed over to pull Kate off of him. That was when a team of police officers ran over and rolled Max over to his stomach before slapping handcuffs around his wrists. Kate was still in a fit of rage and ready to do more damage to Max, but Sean hauled her off over his shoulder while she was kicking him in the chest and screaming profanities at Max for kidnapping her baby.

After arriving back at the house, Casey had taken the infants inside to check them over for any injuries. As soon as the horses had been turned out to the pasture or tied up to the fence railing, Kate stormed past Gabriel up the porch steps and threw open the screen door, where it hit the wall with a loud bang. Gabriel followed her inside just waiting for the dam to break, which was bound to happen soon. The others in the room kept their distance from the two of them in case things got ugly.

"I can't believe you just stood there like a moron when you had the opportunity to grab the babies! Why do you always do that?!" Kate threw her arms up in the air as she headed toward their bedroom.

"A stór-." Gabriel started to say, but was cut off when she turned around on him and stuck her finger in his face.

"Don't you 'a stór' me, Gabriel! You're the reason they were taken in the first place!"

His eyebrows furrowed at the accusation, "Now wait just a damn minute, princess! How is it my fault?"

"IF YOU HAD JUST PUT A DAMN LOCK ON THE BACK DOOR MY CHILD WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN KIDNAPPED!" Kate screamed.

"She's my child, too!"

Their argument continued down the hallway to their bedroom, leaving everyone else wide-eyed and unsure of what to say. The yelling could be heard from the bedroom, and seemed to intensify after the door had been slammed closed. Casey had taken a seat on the couch with Tate while Mae held Shannon close to her chest, afraid that she might be taken away from her, again. This was the first time any of them had witnessed Kate and Gabriel fight; up until now they seemed like they had been the perfect couple.

Inside Kate and Gabriel's bedroom, Kate stomped around the room, yanking out her braid while Gabriel nagged her from behind. She tried to tune him out, but her anger got the best of her.

"After going through months of pregnancy and having my woman parts stretched to their limit when Shannon was born, do you think I'm going to stand here and be calm after she gets kidnapped by a lunatic?! No!"

"Again, that was not my fault! It's not every day you have to worry about people breaking in through the back door of your home and stealing your baby!"

Kate pulled off one of her boots before throwing it at his head, but he ducked out of the way, making the boot hit the wall with a thud, "Everything is your fault, Gabriel! You're the reason I got pregnant! If you had just kept it in your pants, we wouldn't be dealing with all of this right now!"

Losing control of his temper, Gabriel pushed her back against the wall, pinning her to it with his hips. He could see the rage burning in her pale blue eyes as she glared at him, but she never made a move to harm him, "That tiny baby in there is the result of our love for each other. I would never, _ever _do anything to endanger her or you. Yes, there should have been a lock on the back door, but there wasn't. The fact of the matter is Shannon and Tate are back home safe and sound thanks to all of us."

Kate softened her posture and relaxed her arms as he stroked his fingertips down her cheek. He always knew how to make her calm down and there was no way she could stay mad at him forever, "I don't regret having Shannon. She's everything to me… but I don't want to see anything bad happen to her, not after being pregnant with her for so long and dealing with all of the sickness and everything else that goes along with pregnancy."

"I know. Shannon is the best thing that ever happened to me besides meeting you. Do you think I would have made love to you that night if I didn't want to have children with you?"

Kate turned her eyes down to the floor as his words sank in. Her reply came out as a whisper, "No."

"Exactly. I love you more than you could ever know, and I don't want to fight with you anymore, Kate. There's no reason for it," he ran his hands down her sides, feeling every soft curve against the palms of his hands.

She started to say something, however, her heart won over, making her surrender to his touch. Her breathing became more rapid, partly from her previous outburst and also from him being so close to her. She couldn't decide whether to be mad at him or not when she felt his lips graze up her neck and along her jawbone. Her emotions were going back and forth; she wanted him, and yet, she didn't want to give in to him. Kate managed to shove him away from her, and she walked across the room, tears trickling down her cheek.

"No! I can't just let you do this to me. You can't solve everything by playing with my heart whenever I'm mad," Kate stepped through the doorway leading into the bathroom from their room and leaned over the counter. When she looked up in the mirror, his aqua eyes watched her closely, "You're not playing fair."

"I never said I would play fair," he had moved up behind her, laying his hands on her hips and rubbing his cheek against hers. All of a sudden, he turned her around to face him while he still held on to her. Reaching up, he wiped away her tears with his thumbs, "You and I both know who's going to win this."

Kate's mind was all over the place, _I want him to kiss me, but then again, it's unfair of him to use it in his favor, _she pulled away from him, feeling the need to keep her distance, but he was right behind her. Before Kate realized what had happened, Gabriel grabbed her by the arm and pinned her against the wall just like he had before, only this time he pressed his hips hard against hers and put his hands on the wall on either side of her head to keep her from escaping. All she could do was surrender to him.

"You're not going anywhere," he said with a husky growl deep in his throat, _I'll teach you not to walk away from me, _Gabriel ravenously smashed his lips to hers, forcing her mouth open before pressing his tongue inside. He kissed her hungrily, needing to release his built up anger.

Her hands slid up his back, tangling themselves in his long hair, and she pulled his head closer to hers so that she could kiss him more deeply. His hips ground against hers while his hands found their way to her bottom, where he held onto her. Gabriel bit Kate's lower lip, the passion within him building rapidly. As his lips grazed her neck, his hands had managed to find their way underneath her shirt and unclasped her bra, allowing it to fall down her arms. Not wanting it to be in the way, Kate ripped it from her and tossed it away to some unknown location. Before too long, her shirt suffered the same fate, only Gabriel had literally ripped it off her.

_You're mine, Kate, _he thought, feeling his body temperature rise as he slid a hand between the apex of her thighs, causing Kate to gasp.

The button on Kate's jeans went flying off to the side when Gabriel had finally had enough of her clothes keeping him from her. By now, another part of him was ready to bust loose from its confinement, and this didn't go unnoticed. Why should Kate be the one stripped down? Somehow, she had missed him removing his own shirt, because he now stood with his bare chest pressed against hers while pushing her jeans off of her hips and down her legs before she kicked them away. The only piece of clothing that kept him from getting what he craved was her dark blue thong, but it, too, was ripped from her body, leaving Kate just as he wanted her.

_He's going to be buying me a new wardrobe after this_, Kate thought until she felt something warm pressing against her lower belly. She didn't have to glance down to know what it was. His lips kissed the tops of her breasts while he lifted her up into his strong arms, her legs wrapping around his waist; she would need to use her leg strength and keep her back pressed against the wall to prevent herself from falling to the floor. A gasp echoed throughout the room when Gabriel shoved his erection deep inside her body. He, too, moaned at the sensation, wanting to feel more of her. Once situated, he began to move his hips, rocking Kate against the wall, which wasn't the most comfortable feeling in the world. However, she wasn't about to object, so long as he was making love to her.

After a while, Gabriel's thrusts became more violent, which caused her body to hit the wall with a loud thump; she was sure to end up with bruises, but that was the last thing she wanted to think about. Her lips made contact with his for a brief moment, but then he suddenly pulled out and carried her over to the side of the bed where he dropped her to her feet. By this point, his jeans had disappeared underneath the bed.

"Bend over," he growled, and pointed to the side of the bed, waiting for her to obey him.

Kate looked back at him, not understanding what he was wanting, "What?"

Gabriel put his hand between her shoulder blades and pushed her over the side of the bed, his mouth next to her ear, "I said bend over. _Now_." He pushed his knee between her thighs, spreading them apart to allow him access to her nether regions, "I'm not letting you get away with yelling at me," Gabriel got great pleasure from listening to her scream into the bed sheets, her hands clenching the cool material, when he slammed himself into her warm depths; as if she hadn't already taken a beating from giving birth to Shannon, now he was wanting to finish her off. _She'll thank me for this, later. She's been way too uptight since Shannon's been here," _he focused on listening to her moans and groans of ecstasy, letting it influence his own emotions.

_What has happened to my husband? _Kate thought as she lay with her stomach pressed to the bed, taking his pounding. Her eyes flashed open when she felt a sting to the side of her butt cheek from where he had smacked his palm against it. _Maybe I should pick fights with him more often._ _I've never seen this side of him before._ _Holy crap!_

Just when Kate thought she couldn't take anymore of his rough style of love making, Gabriel slowed his movements and turned her over so that she was looking up at his beautiful face. His features had softened to the ones she remembered so wonderfully, aqua eyes glittering in the moonlight. His hips slowed to a soft rolling motion to reflect his changed emotions. Needing to show her that he didn't want to hurt her or make her afraid of him, Gabriel pressed his sculpted stomach to hers and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him before tenderly kissing her.

"Don't make me have to do that to you again. I don't like to bring that side of me out," he whispered while waiting for her to slap him across the face, but she never did.

Kate kept her eyes on his as she reached up to stroke a piece of his hair behind his ear. His gold hoop in the cartilage of his ear caught her eye, but she returned her gaze to his, "No, I needed someone to rein me in. I've been too big for my britches, lately."

"You know, seeing you pin Max to the ground with your ass was kinda hot," he gave a sexy growl, making her giggle.

"You'd think differently if I had a blade against your throat, especially when you know that- Ohhhhhhh!" She dug her nails into his shoulders when her climax overtook her. At the same time, she felt him hold himself in her, knowing he had just hit his own. Both of them lay tangled together on the bed, exhausted from their fight and its aftermath.

After slipping on his loose pajama pants, Gabriel slipped out of their bedroom, leaving Kate to bury herself under the bedcovers while she waited for him to return. He passed through the living room where his parents, brother and Casey sat around talking about the rescue mission. They noticed a look of satisfaction on his face, and wondered what had made him so happy.

Once Gabriel had disappeared into the kitchen, Seamus leaned closer to the other three and asked, "What just happened?"

Being the smartass that he was, Casey replied, "Not that I'm an expert on this kind of thing, but I think your brother just dominated his wife."

"Damn," Rob commented.

**Author's Note: **Gaelic phrases & meanings from this chapter... Damnú air!= Damn it/shit! (pronounce it damn-noo air)


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

The following evening, the entire Dawson family, including Sean and Ava, was gathered around the dinner table. Mae, Ava and Kate were cleaning off the table once they had finished eating, and the others were conversing lightly when Gabriel's phone started ringing.

He shoved his hand into his jeans pocket and pulled the device out, "Oh, it's the general. Excuse me," he stood up from the table and went into the next room to talk to the general.

"Wonder what he wants," Sean pondered. "But whatever it is, it must be important."

"I hope it's not trouble," Kate said, slightly worried.

Any other form of conversation had been cut off by Gabriel's steadily rising voice coming from the other room. All they could hear was snippets of the conversation, "No… No way… Really… Are you serious?!"

The people in the room exchanged glances with each other. What on Earth was going on? They didn't have to wait long for their answer, however, because-.

"YES!"

Gabriel ran back into the room and jumped onto the table, doing a fist pump and a dance of happiness, much to his mother's displeasure, "Yes, yes!"

"Gabriel Irial Dawson!" Mae exclaimed, "What in the name of Jefferson Davis has gotten into you! Get down from your grandmother's table this instant! Don't make me go get a peach switch!"

"Sorry, Mom," Gabriel climbed off of the table, a little embarrassed by his sudden outburst. This was the moment he had been waiting for ever since he had started reenacting. It was every re-enactor's dream to go to the 150th anniversary of Gettysburg, and now he would get the opportunity of a lifetime, and he would be there with his family.

After the kitchen had been cleaned up, everyone moved into the living room to discuss what would happen next. Kate joined them a few minutes later with Shannon clinging to her shirt. The newborn had just woken up from her nap, and was ready to be adored by her family. Kate took a seat next to her husband, who immediately took Shannon and sat her on his lap while he searched around for her pacifier. Having found it on the coffee table, Gabriel popped it into her mouth. About that time, Casey entered the room from the kitchen with a bottle of Bud Light in one hand and Tate in the other. He sat down on the couch and took a swig from the bottle, and then he put the opening of the bottle to Tate's mouth, and she started to chew on it, much to everyone's surprise.

Seamus cleared his throat, "Um, Casey… Isn't your daughter a wee bit young to be drinking?"

His cousin took another drink, "I forgot the munchkin's teething ring at home, so this is the next best thing."

"Well, since you're drinking, hope you and Dionysus don't get pulled over and given an RUI," Gabriel laughed.

Casey looked at him, confused, "What's an RUI?"

"Riding Under the Influence."

Once all joking had ceased, Gabriel proceeded to explain what they would need to get in the next couple of months in order to be accepted at the reenactment. The most important aspect was their uniforms, and they all agreed to meet at Beth's seamstress shop the next afternoon to get measured for their uniforms. At the same fitting, Kate decided she would look at some of the fabric Beth had in order to have a special ball gown made for the big reenactment. This would be her most extravagant, yet. Turning her thoughts away from the dresses, she heard him mention getting the period correct tack for the horses and how expensive it was. When the talk returned to uniforms, Gabriel made a point to give them officer rankings.

"So, being that I'm the Colonel, Sean is my Lieutenant Colonel, followed by Dad, who is a Major," he counted them off on his fingers, "I already have a captain… So what I need is a First Lieutenant; honey that's going to be you. Seamus, you're going to be Second Lieutenant, followed by Sergeant Major, and that's going to be Riley, and finally Casey, you will be my First Sergeant. Since I know you are probably wondering, you are not the low man on the totem pole."

"That makes me feel so much better, Gabe," Casey rolled his eyes while bouncing Tate on his knee to entertain her. "The one with the jugs gets a higher rank than me. I sense some favoritism there."

"Naturally, I'm going to make my wife a higher rank. She is, after all, my right hand man… uh, woman… in marriage. So, don't make her mad or she'll report you."

Kate had a devilish grin on her face as she eyed Casey, "That's right. I'm out to get you. So, you better not screw up, _First Sergeant_."

Casey kept his distance from her in case she tried to attack him with something, "You're wife scares me, Gabriel."

"Good."

The men and Kate stood in the back room of the seamstress's shop the following afternoon, waiting for Beth to measure them for their uniforms. At the moment, the older woman had disappeared to another room while they stood around her sewing area, waiting for her to return. Casey picked up a red and green pin cushion that was sitting next to the sewing machine, but he quickly dropped it when one of the pins stuck him in the finger. He put the tip of his finger in his mouth to suck on it as Kate shook her head and rolled her eyes at him; bringing him to a place like the seamstress's shop was bound to be a disaster. If she could just make it through the fitting without strangling him, it would be a win in her book.

"Okay, my dears, let's get you measured for your uniforms," Beth said when she walked through the door with a measuring tape in her hand. She stopped in front of Seamus and grabbed him by the arm before hauling him off to the fitting room. Once in the room, she motioned for him to strip, "Go on, now. I need you to get all of those off so I can get the correct measurements. Don't be shy."

Keeping his eye on the woman, Seamus hesitantly undid the buttons of his shirt and slipped it off, and then he started on the belt holding his jeans up. When he was completely stripped except for his boxers, Beth proceeded to wrap the tape around his chest, moving it down his torso as she wrote down the measurements. Seamus jumped when she passed the measuring tape between his legs, getting a little close to his man business. As soon as she had taken the last measurement, he put his clothes back on and went out to join the others.

Beth's next victim was Casey, but she'd soon find out what a challenge taking his measurements would be. After shutting the door, she instructed him to strip down just like Seamus, only he decided to make a show of it to entertain the older woman. He slowly slipped his tight-fitting t-shirt over his head, tossing it to the side. While taking off his jeans, he made sure to wiggle his backside around as much as possible to get Beth's attention. After he had finished undressing, Casey decided to flex his muscles to end his performance.

"Lovely, dear," Beth kept a straight face as she measured the length of his legs from his pelvis to his feet, "If this was a Play Girl cover shoot I'm sure the ladies would be going nuts over you, but I need you to hold still long enough for me to get your measurements."

Casey stood there perfectly still until she reached between his legs to grab the measuring tape, "Hey, now, I know I'm sexy and all, but please keep your hands off the family jewels. Thank you, have a nice day."

"Don't make me knock you upside the head," she finished by wrapping the tape around his butt, and regretted it as soon as she did.

"It's about time someone touched me ass. I've been toning it up for the past year and a half just so a fine young lady like you would enjoy it."

Out in the front of the shop, the rest of the group had been wandering around looking at the different merchandise Beth had arranged in cases along the walls, but all of them looked toward the fitting room when they heard a loud noise that sounded like someone getting slapped across the face.

"Shit, lady!"

It wasn't long before Casey appeared, rubbing his cheek where a red mark the shape of a hand was visible. Beth motioned for Riley to follow her while keeping her gaze on Casey in case he did or said anything else worthy of gaining another slap across the face.

As Riley followed Beth to the fitting room, Kate caught Gabriel's eye. He tilted his head in Casey's direction with a mischievous look on his face. He then caught Sean's attention, motioning to Casey. Afterwards, he proceeded to sneak out of the room, Kate following him curiously. As soon as they were out of the room, Sean snuck up behind Casey, and with the help of Seamus, managed to drag Casey out of the room without being noticed.

Once in the next room, Kate turned to Gabriel, "Okay, what's going on?"

"Nothing," Gabriel smirked, "Only we men believe that my esteemed cousin needs a makeover."

"Oh," realization dawned on Kate, "And you need me because…"

"…We need an expert on makeup," Sean said as he and Seamus dragged in a struggling Casey. They then proceeded to tied him up before gagging him with an empty pin cushion.

Kate raised an eyebrow at the reasoning Sean provided, and that was when a certain colored fabric caught her eye, "Alright, I'll play along. What do you boys think of this?" She showed them what caught her fancy- a pink, frilly girly-girl dress with little pink hearts all over it.

Realizing where this was headed, Casey struggled harder against his bonds without success.

"I like the way you think," Gabriel chuckled.

The following fifteen minutes was spent trying to force Casey into the dress, or more precisely, the corset. After a few moments of dodging his flying legs, Kate wrapped the contraption around his middle and fastened the busk at the front of the corset. She then moved around behind him before taking the stays in her hands and pulling back on them as hard as she could to cinch in his waist. When he felt the corset tightening he gasped for air, but she wasn't through tightening it, yet. Kate plucked on the laces to pull the back together, and then set to pulling on the stays, again, making his waist even smaller.

"How do you women _breathe _in this thing?" Casey gasped once more as soon as he managed to get the pin cushion out of his mouth.

Kate chuckled, "You're not _supposed _to breathe."

Satisfied that his waist was small enough to fit in the dress, Gabriel helped Kate slip the pink dress over his head before tying the giant pink satin bow in the back. During the whole ordeal, Casey put up one hell of a fight, but they finally stood back to admire their handiwork. Casey was glaring at them, embarrassed beyond belief.

"Aww, don't worry, Casey," Kate pulled out a tube of hot red lipstick, "It's only just the beginning."

Casey's eyes widened in horror as she brought the makeup near him, "Hey, Gabe… You three go find some lacy ribbons or something…"

Meanwhile, Riley and Beth returned from the fitting room. Rob had started to wonder where the others were, and they were just about to go looking for them when the door was flung open. Gabriel, Sean and Seamus walked in; all three of them looked as if they were desperately trying to hold in laughter. That was when Kate appeared, pushing Casey into the room.

The poor man was now wearing the pink dress, along with elbow length silk gloves and high heels. Kate had done his makeup, and, boy, did she go all out: the red lipstick, shimmery blue eye shadow, winged eye liner, mascara and pink blush. They had also managed to curl Casey's long hair and had tied it with silky pink ribbons.

Rob, Riley and Beth stared at Casey in stunned silence. For a moment, the room was quiet, and then everyone, minus Casey, burst out laughing. A flash went off, and Kate smirked as she lowered her camera, "That's a keeper!"

While Casey was in the bathroom removing the makeup and dress, Kate found herself in the back of the shop staring at a gorgeous mint green silk fabric. Seeing the fabric made her wish she had a ball gown made out of it, but she didn't know if Beth would have the time to make one for her what with the uniforms she had to get made. Kate walked over to the bolt sitting on Beth's work bench and fingered the soft material before looking over to see a bunch of white beaded fringe. She pulled over the fringe and laid it across the green fabric; it was stunning! Thinking that wasn't enough, she dug through some baskets underneath the work bench and pulled out a few white floral appliqués adorned with pearls and crystal beads, and she placed those on top of the material, as well. Kate stepped back to admire her work, and that's when she knew she had to have the dress made no matter how much it cost or how long it would take to get it made.

_This is it! This is the one for Gettysburg! _Kate saw Beth enter the work room, and motioned her over. Once the older woman was beside her, she pointed to the fabric, "Beth, I know this is going to be hard what with all of the uniforms you have to make, but I need you to make this into a ball gown for me."

"Oh, my. That is going to be amazing, dear," Beth inspected the material, "Yes, I can make this for you. I may be up at all hours of the night, but I can get it done before you head up to Pennsylvania."

Kate threw her arms around Beth, overjoyed at the exciting news. She would let everyone know that she was Colonel Gabriel Dawson's wife, and proud of it, "Also, could you make my baby girl a little outfit?"

"I'd be happy to."

That evening, the family returned home, and after saying their goodbyes to everyone, Gabriel made his way into the bedroom where he found Kate underneath the covers with Shannon nestled against her chest, nursing peacefully. So as not to disturb the two of them, he quietly stepped into the bathroom to take a quick shower. As he undressed and turned the shower on, thoughts of his cousin in the pink dress filled his mind, making him chuckle to himself. The hot water was soothing when it hit his back, relaxing every muscle. He stood there letting the water pound his back while thinking of what was to come; he'd turn twenty-five next month, their anniversary was at the end of April, and then there was the Jefferson reenactment, but what he was ready for was their long drive up to Gettysburg. That would be the trip of a lifetime, and he'd be there with the love of his life and the rest of his family.

After pulling on his pajama pants, Gabriel slid into bed next to Kate, who was already sound asleep after having put Shannon in her bassinet. He lay there snuggled close to her and wrapped an arm around her middle before drifting off to sleep himself. Life couldn't be any more perfect than this.


	34. Chapter 34

(Disclaimer: This chapter is rated "M" for content)

**Chapter 34 **

Close to a month had passed, and before long it was the day before Gabriel's birthday. Everyone was getting ready for the celebrations of the following day, especially Kate, who had a surprise for him. Gabriel had asked, of course, but she didn't drop any hints, much to his frustration.

"He's gonna burst with curiosity any moment now," Ava said as she and Kate watched Gabriel stomp out of the room after trying, yet again, to get in the know, "What do you have planned for him, anyways?"

Kate was about to tell her when she heard the floorboard just outside the door creak. Rolling her eyes, she walked over to the door, making sure not to make any noise as she did so. Then without warning, she yanked the door open, and Gabriel, who was leaning against the door in order to overhear the conversation, fell forward and landed with a thud on the floor.

Kate crossed her arms with a smirk, "Nice try, honey."

Gabriel grumbled to himself as he got up and watched as the girls went elsewhere to resume their conversation. "One would think he'd give up by now," Kate said as she stepped into the nursery to check on a napping Shannon, "Besides, his birthday is tomorrow. It's not that long of a wait."

"So, what are you planning that's got him so riled up?" Ava asked.

Kate smiled and started to explain as she held Shannon, who was still asleep.

"No wonder the guy is bursting out of curiosity," Ava chuckled.

"But the problem is, I don't know how we're going to get him there," Kate said thoughtfully.

"Well, you can always ask one of the other guys for help," Ava said, "Someone ought to make the suggestion."

"Yeah, but who?" Kate asked, "Not Casey, for all I know he'll give us away."

"How about Seamus," Ava suggested, "He has enough common sense not to tell the birthday boy."

Kate thought it over, "Not a bad idea. Okay, I'll talk to him," she laid Shannon back down in her crib.

"What are you going to wear for your 'surprise', anyways?" Ava asked.

Kate smiled and led Ava into her and Gabriel's room, "I'll show you," digging through the closet, she pulled out her intended outfit.

Ava's eyes lit up, "He's gonna fall all over you."

The girls laughed as Kate replaced it at the back of the closet and hid it behind some of her other clothes, "I hope it's worth it! It was so hard to sneak that past him."

That same night, Kate sat on their bed with a bottle of sparkly green nail polish sitting on the nightstand beside her as she painted her nails for the following day. She looked up when she heard Gabriel enter the room a few minutes later, carrying their daughter against his shoulder. He had just finished changing her diaper, and was getting ready to give her a bottle before putting her to bed. Gabriel sat down beside Kate, shifting Shannon to the crook of his arm in order to feed her. The fact that she had been keeping a secret from him drove him crazy; what was she hiding from him?

"Oh, Gabriel… just you wait for tomorrow. All of this waiting will pay off," Kate had a grin on her face as she painted her finger nail. She quickly glanced beside her to see his expression.

He kept his attention on Shannon, knowing good and well Kate was not about to give up any information about what she had planned for the next day. _For some reason I have a feeling she's going to do something drastic… But what?!_ After Shannon had sucked her bottle dry, Gabriel moved her up to his shoulder to burp her before carrying her over to her bassinet to put her to bed. He made sure that she was comfortable, and then got in his own bed as Kate put a clear top coat over her polish. It didn't take him long to fall asleep with Kate snuggled close to him.

Bright and early the next morning Gabriel awoke to find Kate sitting on top of him with her legs on either side of his hips and her large chest pushed in his face. Needless to say, it was an unexpected but welcome wake -up call for him. She leaned over, pressing her lips to his while running her fingertips up the inside of his thighs. Without warning, he grabbed onto her hips and flipped her over onto her back and started to kiss her neck, but just as he was getting into the make out session, she pushed her husband off of her and started for the bathroom, grabbing some clean undergarments as she went. Gabriel stared after her while still sitting on the bed, completely baffled that she had ended what was to be an intimate moment.

"Really?! Woman, that is so not cool. You don't just-," he was cut off by the sound of the shower turning on. Deciding to get out of bed, Gabriel made his way over to the bassinet, where Shannon had just woken up and was looking up at him with a happy smile on her face as soon as she saw her father, "You're mommy is just messing with me to keep me guessing what she has planned for tonight. Well, let's go see what your grandma has made us for breakfast, shall we?"

A plate piled high with waffles and strawberries was sitting on the kitchen table when he entered the kitchen a few minutes later. Mae was busy putting the syrup and butter on the table, but she stopped what she was doing in order to give her son a huge hug, being careful not to squish Shannon as she did so.

"I can't believe my baby boy is twenty-five, today. Where has the time gone?" Mae took Shannon from him and sat her down on her lap after she took her seat at the table.

Just then Seamus came in to the kitchen, "Time sure does fly. Happy birthday, little brother."

Gabriel rolled his eyes, but was smiling nonetheless. He was still not used to having a brother, as he had been raised as an only child. But he was glad he had gotten to know Seamus, even if he did sneak into his house and hold his wife hostage.

"So, I've been thinking," Seamus said as he sat down, "Since today is important, we should go out and celebrate, probably."

"What about the kids?" Gabriel asked as Casey entered with Tate clinging to his side. It seemed as if everyone in the Dawson family was just going to waltz right in through the front door as if they owned the place.

"We'll leave them with someone," Seamus said, "Just because you're a dad, now, doesn't mean you can't have fun!"

"Did I miss something?" Casey asked.

"Seamus wants to go drinking this evening to celebrate," Gabriel answered, "Maybe we really should. It's been a while since I last got out."

Mae cleared her throat to get everyone's attention, and all of them looked in her direction, "I think that's a great idea! You just let me take care of the girls while all of you adults go have fun."

Gabriel thought about what his mother had offered, and then a smile came to his face, "Alright... Mom, you can babysit the girls while these weirdos drag me to a bar... Speaking of which, what bar are we going to?"

"Auntie Skinner's, of course," Kate's voice trilled when she walked into the kitchen wearing dark wash jeans and a green shirt that sported two dark green shamrocks positioned over her ample breasts with white writing that said 'Hands Off My Shamrocks', which made Casey snicker as soon as he read it, "Nothing like some beer and buffalo wings to celebrate my hubby's birthday."

"Whoo! Just give me beer and boobies and I'm a happy man," Casey replied excitedly, but glanced around at the others' awkward expressions, "What?"

Kate laid a hand on his shoulder, resisting the urge to give him a black eye, "Casey, dear, we're going to a bar... not a strip club. If I haven't killed you by the time your birthday rolls around, then I might consider taking you to a strip club."

Around five o' clock that same evening, the whole family, excluding Mae, walked the distance from where they had parked their vehicles by the train depot, down the street to Auntie Skinner's Riverboat Club. They had previously discussed who would be the designated drivers, but all of them decided to just take a chance with the law since the farm was only three miles out of town. As soon as they entered the building, they were greeted by the slurred shrieking of someone singing to Foreigner's 'Hot Blooded'. Apparently, the bar was putting on a karaoke night to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. After sitting down at the long bar with everyone else, Gabriel immediately ordered a Guinness and a large plate of buffalo wings to share with Kate and whoever else wanted to test their ability to handle the spicy food.

"Okay, the bar idea was a good one," Gabriel commented after taking a long drink from his glass, "I have been craving one of these forever."

_Just wait a little bit longer, sweet cheeks... You'll be thanking me in the morning, _Kate thought as she stripped a wing clean, the spicy sauce not even fazing her. She licked her fingertips before starting on another one, dipping it into the blue cheese dressing, "Damn, these are good. Sorry boys, you might not be getting anymore."

Casey pulled the plate toward him and put his torso in between Kate and the wings to guard them, "Wumin! You be touchin' me wings and we'll be havin' us a smackdown right here in front of everyone."

"Oh, I'm gonna be smacking someone, alright," Kate took a swig from her bottle of Budweiser, "And it's the same guy who wears Miss Me jeans. Mmm-hmm."

Seamus passed Sean a five dollar bill underneath the countertop, cursing under his breath, "Dammit. I thought they were Rock Revival. Here, Sean."

Gabriel held up his hands between Casey and Kate to keep the two of them from pouncing on one another, "Okay, children... Let's cool it before Kate decides to kick your Botoxed ass."

His comment sent everyone, except for Casey, into a fit of laughter. When they saw Casey turn a brilliant scarlet shade, they laughed even harder, causing some of the other people in the bar to stare at them as if the family's laughter had interrupted the karaoke performers.

When the time neared six-thirty, most everyone in the Dawson family was already on their second beer. Kate glanced over to Ava, giving her a secret signal they had discussed the day before when she had been over at the house. All of a sudden, Kate bent over and grabbed her stomach, moaning loud enough for the others to hear, which made them look at her in surprise.

"Ohhh! The wings aren't agreeing with me!" Kate quickly got up from the barstool and ran for the back of the building.

Ava stood up and started after Kate, "I better go check on her to make sure she's all right."

"Me too!" Moira followed Ava in the direction Kate had gone, leaving the men to watch their backsides disappear.

Casey dropped the wing he had been nibbling on back onto the plate, staring down at it with a worried expression on his face, "Damn! What the hell is in these wings?!"

While the men waited on the women to return from the bathroom, they listened to the karaoke performers, thoroughly enjoying the ones who clearly had had too much to drink. The petite woman who sang 'Pokerface' gained a roar of applause and cheering when she shoved her breasts into a random man's face, making him spill his beer all over the two of them. Another woman wearing a lime green wig was so plastered that she actually fell off of the stage and had to be carried out of Auntie Skinner's on a gurney.

Seamus threw back the rest of his beer and said, "What happened to the women? Did they get sucked into the toilet or something? They've been gone a long time."

"Seriously! Are they trying to kill us with these wings?! I've never seen hot wings give someone the shits... but then again, women are pansies..." Casey glanced over to the plate of bones beside him.

_I hope Kate's all right_, Gabriel worried that his wife might actually be ill, and was ready to go check on her, but Casey caught his attention when he banged his empty glass down on the countertop.

"Okay, guys... let's blow this popsicle stand before I end up throwing something at these drunken idiots."

The men tipped their bartender and paid for the beer and wings before heading out of the bar, and just in time, because a heavyset man with green-dyed spiked hair took to the stage to perform The Pussycat Dolls popular song 'Don't Cha'. They walked in silence for a few minutes until Sean spoke up, throwing out an idea.

"Wanna go hang out at the park?" He suggested.

"And do what? Swing on the swings?" Gabriel raised an eyebrow at his best friend, "We're not five, Sean. Besides, I don't feel like picking any of you up off the ground."

"Live a little! It's not every day you turn twenty-five."

"Yeah, and twenty-five-year-olds also fall a lot harder than five-year-olds... especially when you've been drinking."

Casey put his phone back into his jacket pocket after receiving a text from his mother, "Hey, let's head over to the playhouse. Mom said they might have something special going on for St. Patty's Day."

All of them thought about what he had suggested, and then agreed to go check it out since none of them could think of anything better to do. The main reason the men decided to go was that if it involved free beer or the possibility of free beer, they were going to check it out. It only took the men five minutes to walk to the playhouse on Henderson Street, and when they arrived, they saw quite a few people going inside. That was a good sign of something interesting going on in the playhouse. As the six men entered the white building, they noticed that it was already crowded with people of all ages. Up on the stage, they could see the soundmen setting up speakers and different colored lighting. It seemed as if they were in for another round of bad karaoke.

"Does anyone see where they might be hiding the beer? I need to get a good buzz going before I listen to this shit, again," Seamus questioned as he searched the high-ceilinged room for any sign of a bar.

Gabriel led the way down the aisle to some open seats in the front row, "If you find any, bring back the hardest stuff you can get your hands on... and if they have vodka, bring that too." _I wonder where Kate disappeared to. She never came back from the bathroom, and she hasn't texted me._

The men happened to sit down next to Ava and Moira, who must have saved the seats for them; they hadn't expected to find the women at the playhouse. Ava was keeping herself occupied by showing Moira some pictures on her cell phone she'd taken at the Round Mountain reenactment. The other woman smiled widely when she saw a picture of Gabriel holding Shannon soon after she had been born. About that time, Seamus showed up with several glasses of beer, and handed them to his family.

"Sorry, no vodka. In fact, they didn't have anything stronger than three point," he said as he took his seat in between Gabriel and Moira.

His brother took a large gulp of the golden liquid and rolled his eyes, "If it gets too unbearable, please feel free to hit me over the head with your glass."

"I can do that," Seamus trailed on as the lights dimmed, alerting the audience that the show was about to begin, "It's too bad that Kate's missing out on watching more drunk lunatics trying to sing."

Ava reached across Moira to slap his arm in order to shut the boys up. Just as she did so, the first performer stepped on the stage wearing a green feather boa around his neck and a large green top hat cocked sideways on his head. As soon as he started to sing a rather slurred version of Bon Jovi's 'Living on a Prayer', the audience erupted into cheers and applause; it could have been that they enjoyed watching drunken people making fools of themselves. To the boys' relief, the torture ended a short time later, but not before an equally drunk woman took to the stage to perform Cher's 'If I Could Turn Back Time'. Surprisingly, the first part of the song wasn't too terrible, but once the chorus hit, Casey wanted to claw his eardrums out.

"Make the screeching stop!" He sarcastically covered his ears with his hands, "Me ears are going to bleed!"

"Damn, I left my pistol at home. Sorry, Casey," Gabriel took another swig from his beer, "Let's just be thankful that no one has done any Michael Bolton," to his great displeasure, the opening chords of 'Sexual Healing' rang through the playhouse a few minutes later, much to the others' delight in seeing Gabriel trying not to kill the person on the stage, "I hate all of you."

Rob slapped his hand down on Gabriel's shoulder, chuckling warmly, "That poor guy is just serenading you, Gabriel. You should be happy."

"I'll be happy when it ends."

By the end of the song, Gabriel had finished his glass and had already started on his second one. At this rate he was planning on having his brother drag him back to the truck, especially if the performers got any worse. He wouldn't be able to walk more than a few feet without toppling over. What caught his attention were the soundmen setting up band equipment at the back of the stage. Two of the men secured into the stage floor what looked like a pole, and several feet away from the pole, they set up what looked like an old-fashioned bar countertop.

Ava squealed in delight when she saw the band members take to their instruments and begin tuning them, "Oooh, looks like we get to hear some live music! Kate is gonna kick herself for not being here."

"I know. Maybe now we won't want to shoot ourselves," Sean replied jokingly.

Bright red, blue and green lights lit up the stage as the sound of violins floated above the audience from the orchestra pit, gaining a loud roar of excited cheers. After a couple drumbeats, much to everyone's surprise, Kate emerged from the steps leading down into the orchestra pit, and walked across the stage toward the pole. She was wearing black faux leather pants that clung to every curve; knee-high black stiletto boots; a shiny, emerald green corset trimmed in black satin and studded with iridescent rhinestones, which pushed her large breasts up dramatically; and underneath the corset was a glittery black tube top to help protect the satin of the corset. Her long hair flowed down over her shoulders in voluminous golden waves, decorated with a simple black crystal clip positioned right above her left ear, revealing dark green chandelier earrings. To pull her stunning look together, Kate wore bright red lipstick to bring attention to her full lips. A scandalous look crossed her face as she got ready to bring her microphone up to her mouth.

As soon as Gabriel realized who was on the stage, his eyes widened to the size of saucers, his mouth falling open, as well, "What. The. F-..."

Seamus clamped his hand over his brother's mouth, and leaned forward to get a better view of Kate, "Holy shit! Where has she been hiding those melons?!"

All of a sudden, Ava jumped up from her seat, bringing her hands to her mouth, "Ow, ow! That's what I'm talking about, you sexy mama!"

On the last set of drumbeats, Kate quickly dropped down into a squat, slowly and seductively bringing it back up as she began to sing, keeping her gaze fixed on the audience, "_I know all about, yea about your reputation. And now it's bound to be a heartbreak situation. But I can't help it if I'm helpless every time that I'm where you are. You walk in and my strength walks out the door. Say my name and I can't fight it any more. Oh I know, I should go... But I need your touch just too damn much. Loving you... That isn't really something I should do. I shouldn't wanna spend my time with you- ya. Well I should try to be strong. But baby you're the right kind of wrong. Ya, baby you're the right kind of wrong," _Kate carefully grabbed onto the pole and proceeded to do a set of pole dancing moves, causing the cheers and screaming in the auditorium to become louder. Most of the men were on their feet encouraging her to continue, including the Dawson men. All of them, except for Gabriel, who was still shell-shocked by what he was witnessing.

"_It might be a mistake, a mistake I'm making. But what you're giving I am happy to be taking. 'Cause no one's ever made me feel the way I feel when I'm in your arms," _she moved away from the pole, starting to walk back across the stage to interact with the other side of the audience, "_They say you're something I should do without. They don't know what goes on when the lights go out. There's no way to explain all the pleasure is worth all the pain. Loving you... That isn't really something I should do- ya... hey. I shouldn't want to spend my time with you- ya. Well I should try to be strong. But baby you're the right kind of wrong. Ya, baby you're the right kind of wrong,_" by now, her eyes had zeroed in on her husband, bringing a sly smile across her face. As the next part of the song began, Kate turned and headed down the front steps in the direction of where her family sat, "_I should try to run but I just can't seem to. 'Cause every time I run, you're the one I run to. Can't do without what you do to me, I don't care if I'm in too deeeep yeee-eee-aah."_

The audience roared with excitement as she belted out, and the next events shocked everyone when she threw her legs on either side of Gabriel's lap, pushing her breasts into his face. His cheeks turned a deep crimson as she gave him a rather raunchy, but exhilarating lap dance in front of the entire playhouse. Nevertheless, everyone around them enjoyed the performance, the men whistling and cheering her on. Some even pulled out dollar bills and waved them at her.

"_I know all about, yea about your reputation. And now it's bound to be a heartbreak situation. But I can't help it if I'm helpless every time that I'm where you are. You walk in and my strength walks out the door. Say my name and I can't fight it any more. Oh I know, I should go... But I need your love just too damn much," _she threw her head back, her hair flying out behind her. After sitting back up, Kate fan-kicked her leg over Gabriel's head, making him duck, before standing up to go back on the stage for the end of the song, "_Heee-eey yeee-aah! Loving you... Yeah, isn't really something I should do. I shouldn't want to spend my time with you- ya. Well, I should try to be strong. But baby you're the right kind of wrong (right kind of wrong). Baby, you're the right kind of wrong. Baby you're the right kind of wrong,_" to finish with a bang, Kate stood up on the bar counter, and threw her hair over her shoulder as she hit the last word, "_Yeah baby you're the right kind of wrong."_

The stage went dark and the auditorium was filled with an explosion of applause. Everyone was on their feet clapping wildly; even Gabriel was cheering beside his family and friends. Riley put his thumb and index finger between his teeth, whistling loudly. Ava and Moira were hugging each other and jumping up and down in excitement, tears of joy filling their eyes.

Casey leaned close to where Gabriel could hear, and asked, "Hey, Gabe... Can I borrow your wife for the night? It's been a long time since I've had someone of the female sex in me bed."

His cousin turned to look at him, replying calmly, "Sure... If you never want to have any more children."

"Never mind. I'll keep me hands to meself."

"Wise choice, Casey."

From the way the audience continued to applaud, they seemed as if they wanted an encore. Gabriel moved his gaze around the room, completely awed by how much everyone loved his wife. This was the first time he had ever heard her sing, and the sound of her voice made him fall in love with her all over again. He actually wished she would come back out to perform another song. As if God had answered his prayers, Kate returned to the stage five minutes later, only this time she wore a long, flowing pale blue dress with thin crystal spaghetti straps. Thousands of rhinestones covered the dress, fading into an ombre effect as they moved up the dress. In her ears she wore delicate crystal drop earrings to match the rhinestones on the dress. To complete her goddess-like look, her hair had been pulled to the side with a starburst design comb slid in over the elastic holding her hair in a ponytail.

The din in the playhouse seemed to continue for a few minutes longer until the people noticed that Kate wanted to speak. Everyone sat in their seats, eager to hear what she was going to say. Even the bartender and soundmen gave her their full attention.

"I know all of you are probably shocked to see me up on this stage, tonight. My husband's most likely having to be revived, right now. Especially after his little birthday present a few minutes ago," she cleared her throat and threw a wink in Gabriel's direction, "Anyways, I told myself a long time ago that I would never perform again, but I felt that I had to one last time. For this last song I want to bring someone up on this stage with me, and this someone surprised me when I heard them sing for the first time. I could feel the love and emotion in their voice even though I had never heard the song before."

Murmurs filled the room as the people looked around at each other, wondering which person she was referring to. Even the ones who had had a little too much to drink were alert.

"This person once told me that they had no intention of performing, but I want them to experience this with me," Kate took a second microphone from one of the soundmen when he brought it out to her, and then she stepped to the edge of the stage, looking down at the front row before lightly reaching her hand out, "Gabriel..."

Gabriel sat as stiff as a board when she called his name. His eyes darted from side to side, a look of fright plastered on his face. Finally, Rob and Seamus pushed him up from his seat.

"Get up there with your woman, you crazy fool! You'll never get this chance again," Rob said to his son, doing his best to encourage him.

Moira gave him a warm smile as she shooed him along, "You can do it, honey. Just sing like you're singing for God to hear."

Once Gabriel was out of earshot, Casey dug around in his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, "I gotta have me phone out for this one. We need to have proof in case he tries to say that he was drunk off his ass and denies that he really did this."

As his cousin made his way up the steps to the stage, the audience applauded and cheered to help boost his confidence. He felt like his legs were going to give, but the next thing he knew, Kate had handed him the other microphone. _You can do this, Gabriel. Sing like you're singing to Kate and no one else, _he thought to himself as he watched his wife. She looked like an angel in her silky dress, and at that point he felt as if it was just the two of them in the playhouse; there was no reason to hide.

"This song I have chosen to sing with my husband is my personal favourite, and it has a strong message that keeps me going. Gabriel, I know that you know it, and that's why I wanted you to sing it with me," Kate turned to him, gazing into his brilliant aqua eyes, the true love for him clear on her face, "This song is by Thompson Square, and it's called 'Glass'."

More applause drifted through the air when the lights dimmed to a sultry and romantic purple. When a single guitar started to play a slow melody, the room became silent, letting the music speak. The Dawson's, as well as Sean and Ava, leaned against their significant other while they waited for the words to come. Casey, who had started to film on his phone, kept his eyes on his family members up on the stage. Seamus had put his beer down so that he wouldn't ruin this enchanting moment.

On the stage, Kate kept her eyes closed, letting the music seep through her veins and fill her with joy. She then lifted the microphone up and began, "_Trying to live and love with a heart that can't be broken is like trying to see the light with eyes that can't be opened. Yeah, we both carry baggage we picked up on our way, so if you love me do it gently, and I will do the same."_

The courage inside him strengthened, letting Gabriel know that it was time. He let the emotion win over, and joined the love of his life...

"_We may shine. We may shatter. We may be picking up the pieces here on after. We are fragile. We are human. We are shaped by the light we let through us. We break fast, 'cause we are glass... 'Cause we are glass."_

The energy surged full force throughout the playhouse, bringing Kate and Gabriel together. When they continued, memories of all of their special moments came back to him in a rush. They were enough for him to let every ounce of his true self out.

"_I'll let you look inside me, through the stains and through the cracks. And in the darkness of this moment, you see the good and bad. But try not to judge me, 'cause we've walked down different paths. But it brought us here together, so I won't take that back_

"_We may shine. We may shatter. We may be picking up the pieces here on after. We are fragile. We are human. We are shaped by the light we let through us. We break fast, 'cause we are glaaa-aass._"

The entire audience rose to their feet, applauding with bliss. Kate sang by herself for the following part, leaving Gabriel to soak in everything.

"_We might be oil and water. This could be a big mistake._ _We might burn like gasoline and fire. It's a chance we'll have to take."_

Gabriel rejoined his wife for the ending...

"_We may shine. We may shatter. We may be picking up the pieces here on after. We are fragile. We are human. And we are shaped by the light we let through us. We break fast, 'cause we are glass. We are glass._"

When the last note of the guitar fell silent, Gabriel pulled Kate into a deep kiss, much to everyone's liking. Just like before, the stage went dark, allowing the couple to slip away without being seen. Once in the backstage area, Kate stopped to pick up her bag of clothes to change into while Gabriel waited on her. Afterwards, the two of them stepped outside behind the playhouse. Kate pulled him against her front side and laid her hands on his bottom as she looked into his eyes.

"Would it be rude to ditch your family right now? I want to spend some time _alone_ with you," she asked seductively.

A chuckle escaped his lips, "As much as I'd like to take you up on that offer, I'm afraid we're stuck with them for a little while longer," he playfully ruffled her hair before turning to go find the others, seeing that the playhouse was starting to empty, "But don't worry, I'll get you naked soon enough."

Kate's mouth dropped open, "Why is it that you men always turn everything into something sexual?"

"Hey, I wasn't the one who brought up the fact that you wanted to spend time alone with me. That can only mean one thing," he turned around, throwing his arms up before disappearing behind the building.

_Just wait, Gabriel. You're birthday is not over yet, _she thought as a sly smile appeared on her face.

Later that night, a while after they had returned home and the rest of the family had gone to their homes, Kate and Gabriel had collapsed on their bed after yet another intimate moment. They were both exhausted and Kate was panting heavily.

"Where the hell did that come from?" She managed to say between pants.

Gabriel smirked, "You were asking for it. Besides, I didn't hear you complaining."

Kate chuckled, "I was a little more than preoccupied. At least you didn't throw me into a wall, again."

Gabriel chuckled a little at the memory, and then shifted onto his back, feeling totally relaxed; today had to be the best birthday he ever had. Kate snuggled up next to him and let out a contented sigh. For one moment, all felt right in the world, "You were right, Kate. Today was definitely worth the wait."

"I told you so," Kate traced patterns on his chest with her fingertips, smiling as she felt his muscles shift under her touch, "I'm glad you liked it. It was extremely hard not to give it away. That, and sneak that outfit past you."

"I had a feeling you were going to do something drastic," Gabriel said, "I just didn't know what. You did a good job covering this up."

Kate didn't reply, but instead closed her eyes, listening to her husband's heartbeat. It was quickly becoming her favourite lullaby. She was happy that she was able to pull off her plan, and ever happier that Gabriel enjoyed his day. That, after all, was the point of the whole thing. It took only a few moments for her to fall asleep, looking forward to the day of tomorrow.

**Author's Note:** I do not own any of the songs in this chapter. They are the property of the artists.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

Time seemed to fly by after Gabriel's birthday. Before they knew it, the happy couple had celebrated their first anniversary; Gabriel had surprised Kate with a sunset picnic on the shoreline of Caddo Lake, complete with yummy treats from the General Store. It had been every sense of magical watching the sun fade into the horizon.

Now, the whole family was bustling around the house trying on their new uniforms after Mae had picked them up from the seamstress's shop. Seamus and Riley had no problems dressing in their uniforms, but Casey, on the other hand, was having one hell of a time trying to figure out how the suspenders worked. He had even popped himself in the eye with one of the leather straps.

"Casey, let me show you how to put those on before I end up having to take you to the hospital," Mae walked over and untwisted the suspenders before popping the leather straps over the buttons on the front of his wool trousers. _I swear, boy, a monkey could figure this out._

Seamus stood back watching as Mae straightened the collar of Casey's white shirt while his cousin stood there looking as if he was humiliated, "Come on, man… it's pretty bad when your aunt has to dress you."

"Seamus, give your cousin a break…even though he can be a couple sandwiches short of a picnic, sometimes," Riley turned to face Casey, "No offense, son."

Casey gave him a thumbs up, "Thanks, Dad. I really feel the love, right now."

While the men were keeping busy in the living room with their uniforms, Kate found herself struggling to flatten her ample breasts with the bandage she had bought a few days prior. No matter how tight she pulled it, she couldn't get her chest to flatten enough. After several more failed attempts, Kate got an idea, and she went over to the bed and laid down on her back, which caused her breasts to spread out to the sides of her chest. Lifting her back off of the bed, Kate wrapped the bandage tightly around her chest and fastened it. Afterwards, she walked over to the mirror to inspect herself.

"I'd say that's as flat as they're gonna get," she said to herself before pulling on her long-sleeved white cotton shirt, and then snapping the suspenders over her shoulders. The last article of clothing to be donned was her Lieutenant's coat.

Just as she was buttoning up the gray coat, the sound of someone clearing their throat caused her to turn around to find Gabriel leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed casually over his chest and an amused grin on his face.

"You know, you are the only person I know who can make a Civil War uniform look sexy," he remarked, and made his way over to her.

Kate raised an eyebrow at him, "What about Casey? He's sure to have women hanging off of him when he has his uniform on."

"Seriously? That dodo bird had to have Mom dress him after he couldn't figure out how to put his suspenders on," Gabriel went over to check on a napping Shannon, "The only thing he's good at is getting into women's pants."

"So, is that how he ended up with Tate?"

"No, he was married when Aoife got pregnant, but sadly she cheated on him when she was on a business trip in Dublin," Gabriel gently covered his daughter up with her blanket, "And somehow he managed to win custody of Tate after they divorced. Casey loves that baby more than anything, and he's been trying his hardest to find a good mother for her."

Kate joined her husband beside the bassinet, "I knew he had been cheated on, I just didn't know why…Well, I hope he finds someone soon. He really is a great guy."

That night the two of them lay in bed snuggled up to each other, discussing the upcoming reenactment in their hometown. They would be leaving in the afternoon that Friday to head to their campsite in Lion's Park. This year they would have more tents to set up in Officer's Row, which meant they would need more time, so they had decided to leave earlier than they had the year before. The thought of riding around town in her new uniform excited Kate, especially since she would be riding alongside her husband and the other members of the family. And what was even more exciting was Gabriel telling all of them that they would be riding in the town parade with the rest of the 1st Texas Cavalry and the other re-enactors.

"Now, there's been a rumor going around town that they're expecting a skirmish this year in the streets," Gabriel mentioned as he lay on his back with Kate resting her head on his chest, stroking her fingertips over his muscles, "They've done that in the past."

She lifted her head up to look at him, "That sounds like fun! Are we going to be involved?"

"There's a good possibility, but I won't know anything until Friday when we get to camp."

"I'm ready for a good brawl. Just let me at 'em," Kate yawned and closed her eyes as her husband softly stroked her shoulder and arm with his fingertips.

"Oh, don't you worry, honey… I'll turn you loose on those blue bellies."

Before long, both of them fell asleep cuddled up to one another while Shannon slept soundly in her bassinet beside the bed. The only sound in the room was of their breathing as they slept. They would worry about everything else in the days to come before the reenactment, and then the fun would begin in the bayous of Jefferson.

Friday afternoon was hectic for the Dawson family. While the women were busy loading the cabs of the trucks with their dresses and Kate's uniform, the men loaded all of the camping supplies and the horses' tack into the trailers. Since there were more supplies and tents this time around, it was like a game of Tetris trying to figure out where to put everything. After what seemed like ages, Rob loaded the last chair in his trailer.

"Okay, now that everything is in the trailers, let's get the horses loaded," Gabriel said as he headed off toward the pasture with the other men right behind him carrying the lead ropes.

While they were off catching the horses, Kate and Mae took the time to get Shannon and Tate buckled in their carriers, and then into Gabriel's truck. Both girls were asleep when the women picked them up, and didn't even wake up during the process of getting them loaded.

"As soon as the guys get the horses loaded I think we'll be ready to go," Kate cringed when she heard a loud bang come from inside the horse trailer, "It sounds like one of the horses doesn't want to go in."

They watched as Gabriel shut and locked the trailer before turning to Casey, who brushed a muddy hoof print off of his thigh, "What is that mare's problem?"

"Don't ask me. Athena's normally an angel," Casey made his way for the truck.

Seamus rolled his eyes at his cousin, "She's probably not too keen about being shoved into a confined area with four males. Especially when one is a stallion," he turned to his brother, "Gabe, I hope you tied Bo down to where he can't get to her."

"Don't worry… There won't be any baby-making in this trailer," Gabriel got into the truck, along with Casey and Kate while Seamus got in Rob's truck.

Lion's Park was already full of tents when the Dawson's arrived around three o' clock that afternoon. After parking their trucks near the gazebo, the men carried the heavy tent poles over to Officer's Row, which happened to be set up in the same vicinity as the previous year, directly across from the Schluter Mansion. Once Gabriel and Rob had staked Gabriel's wall tent in the ground, Kate took Shannon and Tate inside to get them out of the hot sun. Seeing that her daughter had woken up from her nap, she immediately got her out of her carrier and began to nurse her, knowing good and well that she would be hungry after her nap.

_It's going to be challenging to feed you when I have my uniform on. Good thing I brought bottles,_ another thought crossed Kate's mind when she realized what significance this event had in her life. _A year ago I had my first pregnancy symptom. I upchucked your daddy's fish in the trash can, over there. It doesn't seem like it's been that long._

After laying the girls down on a soft blanket to rest, Kate joined the others in putting up Casey's wall tent beside Seamus's tent. It didn't take long to anchor the canvas to the ground, but while he was holding onto one of the poles, Casey decided to tease his cousin's wife.

"Hey, Kate… How about you give us guys a little show to make our job more entertaining," he pretended to rub up against the pole as if he was pole dancing.

She walked past him in the direction of Mae and Rob's tent, "I'll pass. I don't work for free."

"Stop moving, Casey! You keep pulling the stakes out," Gabriel was ready to throw the hammer at his cousin, "I'll kill what remaining brain cells you have… and trust me, you can't afford to lose them."

By the time dusk had fallen over the small town, everyone sat around underneath Gabriel's tent fly, chatting lightly about what would happen the following day. Gabriel gently rocked Shannon, who was already wearing the little, white baby dress Beth had made for her. She also had tiny crocheted booties decorated with pink ribbons keeping her feet warm. The only piece of her outfit she didn't have on was her bonnet. The baby grasped onto a tuft of the fur on his chest as she slept against him.

"It's going to be interesting to see how our little girl reacts when the bugle sounds in the morning," Rob mentioned casually while cracking peanuts.

Kate scoffed, "Bugle Boy better pray I don't find his tent, because if I do, we'll be having us a Come-to-Jesus meeting in front of everyone."

Feeling slightly nervous about being near an unpredictable woman, Casey leaned over to Gabriel and asked, "Has she always been this… unforgiving?"

"No, but after you experience the miracle of childbirth and all of the messiness involved, it's understandable," Gabriel replied.

"Come to think of it, I do recall Aoife ready to murder the nurse when she took a sample of blood from Tate."

It didn't take long for Kate to grow tired. She stood up from her chair and took Shannon from her husband, "Shannon and I are going to bed, so keep your voices down. If any of you wake the baby… Well, hopefully none of you will find out what I have planned for the one who does," with those final threatening words, Kate disappeared inside the tent.

Eventually, Gabriel joined her when everyone else drifted off to their own tents. As the night wore on, a few more trucks pulled in to set up camp, but silence fell over the park once the other re-enactors had turned in for the night.

The bugle sounded at six-thirty sharp the next morning, however, Kate was already awake and busy nursing Shannon, as the baby had woken up a few minutes earlier. While Gabriel was off waiting in the endless line for the johns, Kate took the opportunity to bond with her daughter. As soon as she had been burped and her diaper changed, Kate took a cool wash cloth from the wash basin near the tent door and ran it over the baby's body to clean her up for the day. Afterwards, she dressed her in her dress she had on the night before.

"Now that you're ready, Mommy can get dressed," she tied the bonnet on Shannon before starting on her own wardrobe.

The rest of the family was already wolfing down breakfast when Kate emerged from the tent dressed in her complete uniform with her long hair tucked under her hat and carrying Shannon. Mae handed her a plate loaded with the delicious-looking food and took the baby so that she could eat. It didn't take her long to clean her plate, and she helped Mae and Ava wash all of the dishes and put them away inside Mae's tent.

She joined the men some time later that morning when they sat down to load their pistols and extra cylinders while Ava watched the babies. Once the men had theirs loaded, they headed off to get the horses ready, leaving her to finish loading her weapons, but she joined them around ten o' clock to find Gabriel adjusting the girth strap underneath Bo's belly. The rest of the men were already trotting around on their horses, getting all of the jitters worked out of them for the day. Seeing that Buster had already been tacked up, Kate untied him from the tree and climbed easily into the saddle without any help from Gabriel. After getting situated in a comfortable position and planting her knee-high boots in the stirrups, Kate led her horse over to the other members of the 1st Texas.

Glancing at his pocket watch, Gabriel noted that it was nearing the time for the parade and noticed that his Lieutenant Colonel was nowhere to be found, along with their flag. _Great. He's always disappearing when we're getting ready to head out, _he motioned for Kate to join him, again, and she rode over to see what he needed.

"Kate, can you go see where Sean has run off to with our colors," Gabriel said as he mounted up onto Bo's back, "We need to get lined up for the parade, which starts in thirty minutes."

His wife nodded while tucking a stray strand of hair underneath her gray Hardee hat, and then rode off on Buster in the direction of the old saloon, "I'll track him down; don't worry."

Not wanting to be late for the line-up, Gabriel led the way to the Carnegie Library with the rest of his troopers following behind him in twos. By the time they reached where the rest of the re-enactors were lining up, they noticed a large crowd starting to gather along the parade route. The 1st Texas Cavalry fell in behind the Louisiana Tigers, who were chatting happily with other re-enactors around them. As they waited, Gabriel kept a watch for his best friend and his wife, but he didn't have to wait long, because he could see his unit's flag flapping wildly as Sean and Kate headed his way at a hard gallop, the horses' hooves clattering on the cobblestones. The two of them automatically took their places in line just as the entire line started to move down the street when the parade began.

"Good timing. I almost didn't think you'd make it," Gabriel commented to Sean, who sat tall on Hyjinx's back while holding onto their flag.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to keep you guys waiting," Sean replied.

As the line turned onto Austin Street, Gabriel clucked to Bo and nudged him in the sides with his spurs, making the bay stallion lift his hooves high off of the ground as he pranced down the street with his head held elegantly in the air. The rest of the troopers followed suit, getting their horses to prance along behind their colonel; Casey's gelding, Dionysus, tossed his head into the air and whinnied loudly as if to say 'look how radiant I am', which caused the crowd to look their direction when the cavalry passed by. Seeing women dressed in their antebellum attire, the men tilted their hats in acknowledgment and continued on down the street. Being the cavalier that he was, Sean even blew a kiss to Ava standing beside Mae and Moira when he passed the three women near the bakery. After turning the corner at the end of the parade route, all of them gathered up in the middle of the street while waiting for the rest of the procession to round the corner, but a few minutes later the sound of gunfire rang through the air.

"Alright, men… and wannabe men," Gabriel reached behind him, pulling out two dragoons from his cantle holsters on the back of his saddle, "Time to have some fun."

The rest of them watched as he dismounted from his saddle before tying Bo up to a street lamp. He ran over to the side of the General Store and pressed his body against the wall, peeking around to see where the shots had come from. Some of the men looked at each other as if they weren't sure what to do, but Gabriel motioned with one of the guns for them to follow him.

"Well, this is a new one," Sean said after getting down from his horse and tying him up to the same street lamp. He pulled his double barrel carbine around and unclipped it from its sling, "I guess we're going dismounted for once."

Rob checked his gun belt to make sure he had extra cylinders for his two Remingtons, along with plenty of ammo for his own carbine, "This outta be interesting."

Kate ran past them in a crouched position after stuffing a derringer between her breasts, leaving some of the men staring after her. She pressed herself against the wall behind Gabriel and pulled out a .36 caliber from the holster on the front of her belt and a .44 from the one behind her. The captain of the 1st Texas took that time to count how many guns she had strapped to her, but gave up after counting five.

"She just thinks she's so great, doesn't she. I've got weapons, too," Casey rolled his eyes at Kate's back and pulled a knife with a three inch blade out of its case attached to his belt, making Seamus raise an eyebrow when he saw his cousin's 'weapon'.

"What the hell are you gonna do with that dinky thing? Pick their teeth? Let me show you what a real knife looks like," Seamus reached into his boot and pulled out a foot long bowie knife, "Now, this bad boy is a knife."

Casey took one look at Seamus's knife before putting his back in its case out of humiliation, trading it out for a dragoon. The two of them stood behind the wall with the rest of the cavalrymen, waiting for their colonel to give the orders to move out. At that time, General Mayo stepped up to Gabriel in order to discuss their plan of attack. Once both of them understood what would happen, Gabriel called the others closer to explain what he and the general had just discussed.

"Okay, we're going to split up into two groups to trap the Yankees. I want Rob and Riley to take half of you and go down the alleyway over there," Gabriel pointed to the alley behind a run-down building behind him, "The rest of you are going to follow me; we're going to stir them up a bit. Make sure you have plenty of ammunition… You're gonna need it," he checked around the building once more, "Move out."

Rob's group disappeared down the alley after grabbing the rest of their weapons from their saddlebags as Gabriel's group started down the street in plain sight of the Yankees. The Louisiana Tigers and another Confederate regiment were already heavily engage between the bakery and the coffee shop, which gave Gabriel's group enough time to sneak into the Jefferson Hotel. The group hurried up the stairs to the upper floor, pulling out more guns as they went. Sean quickly poured a round of black powder down each of his barrels and primed the nipples in preparation for what was to come. Eventually, they emerged outside on the balcony of the hotel, and Gabriel put his finger to his lips to make sure no one gave away their position.

"When I give the command, I want Sean to take the first shot, and then the rest of you start firing. That should allow the others to come in behind the Yankees while they're firing at us," Gabriel whispered and quietly stepped along the balcony with his pistol pointed up before looking over the railing to see the Union men fire a volley at the zouaves. He turned back to Sean and motioned with his head in the direction of the Yankees for Sean to take his position, who carefully aimed his carbine over the railing and made sure he had enough elevation for safety. That's when Gabriel whispered, "Now…"

A loud bang echoed through the streets when Sean pulled one of the triggers, sending the Yankees scrambling to see where the shot had come from. By now, most of the crowd and the blue troops had spotted Sean and the others on the balcony of the hotel. That was when they received a heavy dose of pistol fire from the rest of Gabriel's group. It took them a few seconds to get organized, but once they did, they returned the fire with several volleys of rifle fire. Kate found herself running along the balcony, whipping out pistol after pistol, emptying them upon the Yankees, and during one point of the melee, she pulled the derringer out from her cleavage and got off its single shot, aiming for a Yankee captain with dark brown hair and a handlebar mustache. That was when Rob's group popped out from behind the coffee shop and surprised them with their own pistol fire. Back and forth, both cavalry groups bombarded the men in blue with heavy fire, and they were eventually joined by the other Confederate units, but just as the skirmish seemed to reach its climax, a loud shriek pierced the air when a lilac-colored woman ran out of the coffee house wearing just her bloomers, chemise, and corset with her wavy hair falling over her bare shoulders. A Yankee sergeant chased after her until he finally pinned her against the wall of the coffee shop. The sudden turn of events caught Seamus's attention.

"Oh damn… Looks like the Yanks have invaded the whore house," he said nonchalantly while loading another full cylinder into his pistol.

Casey looked at his cousin as if he had said women were going extinct, "Aw, hell naw!" He leaned over the railing to get a better look at the woman who had come out of the coffee shop and now stood with the major trying to grab onto her upper arm, but she slapped him away, "Forget this shit, save the whore!"

Upon hearing another one of Casey's uncouth remarks, Kate slapped the palm of her hand against her forehead and just shook her, fighting the huge urge to turn her pistol on him. _One day, Kate… One day…_ She turned and ran back through the doors of the balcony before going down the stairs as fast as she could. Once out in the street, she bent over and pulled a baby dragoon out of her boot, and lit into the Yankees with a fury of pistol fire. Just to show off her dexterity, she pulled another pistol out from the waistband of her trousers and started to twirl the two pistols to distract them, and then fired both at the same time.

"Sweet mother of Hades, where in the hell has she been hiding all of these guns?!" One of the cavalry privates questioned incredulously.

Gabriel just shook his head while staring at his wife keeping the enemy occupied below them, "I don't have an answer for that one, but the better question is, how was she able to ride with all of those?"

Seamus leaned over close to his brother so that he could hear him amongst the loud firing, "Gabe, do not give her any more guns! She's starting to scare me!"

"Me, too."

Thinking that Kate might need backup, Gabriel led his troopers down to the street where they formed a line and opened up with more pistol fire. After expending the rest of their pistol ammunition, some of the men switched to using their carbines, firing rapid fire into the Union lines. Kate got into a fire fight with the major who had trapped the prostitute against the coffee shop wall, allowing Sean and Riley to run over and save her. As Sean carried her off over his shoulder, another female voice caught their attention.

"Yoo hoo!"

Everyone looked up to see a scarlet-colored woman with her hair in a side ponytail leaning out of the upper floor window of the coffee shop. A Yankee private kept his eyes on her, and even threw her a wink as if he was attracted to her.

"Up here, boys!" Just as the private removed his hat, the woman revealed a large chamber pot and dumped it out on four Yankee men, including the flirting private standing below her window, "Whoopsies!"

Seamus chuckled after witnessing what had just taken place, "I like her. Any woman who dumps a chamber pot on someone's head is a winner in my book."

"Agreed… but I like her little friend Sean just hauled off; she's kinda cute," Casey kept a close eye on the lilac-colored female, who now stood behind Riley as she watched the skirmish continue.

Seamus fired a shot at an advancing Union officer and said, "Casey, you like anything that has breasts and other lady parts, so don't play it off like it's no big deal."

About that time, Gabriel reached over with one of his dragoons and thumped both of them on the back of the head, "Can we focus on whipping these Yankees, please. You can worry about getting into the prostitutes' bloomers later."

Five minutes later, a truce was called when the Union and Confederate commanding officers met in the middle of the street and shook hands. When they did so, the crowd started to applaud as the re-enactors dispersed in different directions; some would go back to camp to get lunch started while others would mill around town at the suttlery or the little shops. After mounting back on Bo, Gabriel headed off in the direction of the park with the rest of his troopers right behind him so that they could drop off their weapons at their camp, and then go explore the town.

**Author's Note: **Irish Name in this chapter: Aoife (pronounce it like _Ee-fa_)


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

To kill time before the main battle, the family split up in different directions to go check out what was happening throughout the town. Moira and Mae went to attend the Ladies' Tea in one of the small shops by the train depot while Kate and Ava took the babies with them when they went to shop around the antique stores. Not even remotely interested in partaking in their girly plans, the men took to walking down the busy sidewalks as they discussed the upcoming battle, which was supposed to be a train raid in the Piney Woods along the banks of the Big Cypress. Gabriel only gave them minor details regarding the battle, for the rest of it would be explained when they were at the battle site. The talk of the battle ceased when Gabriel felt a strong craving for his favorite old fashioned candy, and he made a beeline for the General Store with Rob and Riley right beside him.

"What should we do now, Seamus?" Casey questioned after stopping by one of the buildings.

Seamus shrugged his shoulders and replied, "I don't know. Let's just keep walking," he turned around and started walking in the direction they had come with Casey about two feet away from his side.

Further down the street, headed the boys' direction, the lilac-colored woman and the scarlet-colored one strolled beside each other, talking about random things. The lilac woman wore a pale blue long-sleeved day dress covered in medium blue flowers. Her hair was now pulled into an up-do with the ends in sausage curls. She wore a blue teardrop-shaped hat with a matching veil at the back of it. She kept her jewelry simple: delicate pearl and blue crystal drop earrings. The other woman wore a white dress trimmed in black braiding with a matching long-sleeved buttoned up jacket. She had her hair pulled back in a tight braided bun with her hair parted down the middle. At her throat was a black and white cameo brooch, and in her ears were the matching earrings. Both women carried lace parasols in coordinating colors to keep the sun off of them

"I don't understand why you have to be so hostile towards men, Ellen," the lilac one shook her head, knowing what her friend's answer would be.

"They're all the same to me; good-for-nothing trash," Ellen kept her eyes ahead of her so as not to make eye contact with her, "It's best to stay away from them."

Her friend chuckled, "You just haven't found the right one, yet," seeing some handsome men about to pass them, she hip checked Ellen, knocking her off balance, where she fell into one of the men.

"Lady going down!" Seamus caught Ellen in his arms and stood her back up.

She snatched her parasol from Casey before brushing off her skirt with her hand. With a sharp glance to her right, she said coldly, "Thanks… but I can take it from here."

The two men watched her walk off beside her friend, and then continued on down the street, but not before Casey had to comment about the woman Seamus had just helped.

"Wasn't that the whore who dumped the chamber pot out on those Yankees?"

Seamus mentally cringed and stopped walking, which caused Casey to stop, as well. _You shouldn't have said that, Casey._

"What did you just call me?" Ellen slowly turned around to face Seamus and Casey, practically snorting smoke out of her nose.

Seeing the woman glaring daggers at Casey, Seamus leaned over and whispered, "Run… Now."

Casey didn't waste any time; he knew he was going to be turned into mince meat by an angry woman. He turned on the heels of his boots and took off at a dead run in the direction of the train depot. After seeing his cousin flee, Seamus turned back to the two women, and watched as Ellen snapped her parasol shut, reached underneath her skirt and dropped her crinoline to the sidewalk. There was no doubt in his mind what was getting ready to happen. What left him baffled was when she dropped her skirt and petticoat, too, leaving her in just her dress jacket, shirt and underpinnings.

_Oh, hell… This isn't going to end well, _Seamus thought. _She's going to murder him._

"Time me," Ellen said before taking off after Casey, running in long strides after his retreating form.

Her friend and Seamus stood staring after her, surprised by how fast she was gaining on him. She easily dodged people on the sidewalk and kept running after her target.

"Damn, she's fast," Seamus's eyes widened when he realized that Casey was doomed.

The lilac-colored woman smirked, crossing her arms over her chest while still holding her parasol, "She was the track star in high school, if that tells you anything."

Seamus cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, "Get the lead out of your britches, Casey!"

Having bought a bag loaded with an assortment of candy to satisfy his sweet tooth, Gabriel stepped out of the General Store with Rob and Riley right behind him. The three men were just about to go track down the others when they saw Casey run past them, hauling ass down the sidewalk with an angry woman hot on his heels. It shocked them when they noticed that she was running in just her pantalets and part of her dress.

"Wonder what he said to piss her off?" Gabriel asked to no one in particular while sucking on a piece of hard candy. _And why she's half dressed…_

Rob cocked an eyebrow in response, "It's Casey… It could be a number of things."

They could hear Casey call back to them, "Gabriel, help me!"

Gabriel just shook his head and popped another piece of candy into his mouth, "Heh. You're on your own, dude."

The men watched as the woman caught up with Casey and threw her arms around his waist, dragging him to the ground with her. Casey let out a feminine shriek of surprise when he realized that he was done for. Once she had him in her grasp, she sat on top of him and slammed her knuckles into his shoulder blade. In an effort to get away from her, Casey tried to get his legs underneath him in order to run, but Ellen was not budging; she was the lioness who had finally caught her prey and was going to tear it apart.

While watching the tussle on the ground, the others cringed when Ellen landed a punch in the middle of Casey's stomach, making him gasp for air after having the wind knocked out of him. Gabriel and Riley were just about to go over to the two of them when Kate and Ava ran up with the babies clinging to them.

"What's going on?" Kate asked, and as soon as she saw Casey being attacked by Ellen, she nearly went into hysterics and had to lean against the building to keep herself from falling over; the sight of Casey getting his face buried in the sidewalk was almost too much for her.

All of them cringed again when Ellen elbowed Casey between the legs, sending him writhing away in pain.

"GET HER OFF ME!" Casey yelled before taking a blow to his kidneys.

"Do you think we should help him now?" Rob questioned, a little afraid for his nephew.

After having calmed down, Kate rolled her eyes and sighed, "As much as I'd love to keep watching this, we better go pull her off of him."

The group looked at each other, waiting for one of them to head over and pull Ellen away from Casey, however, none of them felt like getting in between the two of them and facing Ellen's wrath when she was already out to kill.

Rob spoke up after a few moments, "So… Who's gonna go pull her off of him?"

"Don't look at me!" Riley threw up his hands and backed away.

"But he's your _son_."

His brother raised his eyebrows in response, "Does it look like I want to put myself in the middle of those two? Angry women are deadly."

Silence passed around the group as all of them thought about what Riley had mentioned until Rob nodded in agreement, "He's got a point…"

"SHE'S…GONNA…FREAKIN'…KILL…ME!" Casey screamed in between Ellen slamming his face into a large flower pot. By now, he was starting to see stars.

Gabriel squeezed his eyes closed, debating on helping his cousin out, but like the others, he wasn't too crazy about getting ripped to shreds by an angry woman, "…And there goes the last brain cell…"

Realizing that his cousin desperately needed help, Seamus ran over to the two of them and wrapped his arms around Ellen's torso before lifting her off of Casey, "Come on, Baby Cakes… Let's not kill my cousin, please."

She put up a good fight, kicking her feet into his shins and shoving her elbows behind her, until he set her down several feet away from Casey. When she was free, she turned around and threw a punch at the person who had intervened, and when her fist made contact with Seamus's toned chest, she thought she had broken her hand._ Holy shit! What is this guy made of? Bricks?_ After shaking off the pain, Ellen looked up into his face and felt her heart miss a beat at the sight of Seamus standing there with his long hair draped over his shoulders and pieces of his hair hanging down over his eyes underneath the brim of his hat. _Hot damn… I didn't think it was possible to make something that beautiful… _Ellen shook her head to get her out of her daze. _What the hell is wrong with me? I hate men!_

Seeing that he was free, Casey pushed himself up to his feet and stumbled over to the rest of the group while keeping a close eye on Ellen standing in front of Seamus in case she decided to go for round two. He hated to admit it, but he was afraid of her and didn't want to find out what else she could dish out.

Ellen turned toward Casey with her dark eyes trained on his and her mouth set in a straight line, "You're lucky your family is here to protect you, because if they weren't, I'd hit you so hard it'd make your great, great granddaddy feel it."

Without saying another word to anyone, Ellen and her friend walked off toward their camp over by the old saloon, Ellen grumbling something about how men were pointless creatures. Unbeknownst to her, Seamus watched her disappear down the street before joining the others as they checked Casey over for any serious injuries. Despite his disheveled appearance, he looked to be all right. Noticing that his cousin's hair was sticking up everywhere, Seamus licked his palms and then ran them over Casey's head to smooth the hair down.

"Me head hurts," Casey remarked after they had started back to camp so that they could get ready for the battle.

Gabriel laid his hand on his shoulder and said casually, "You had your head bashed into a flower pot of pansies by a pissed off woman. That's probably why."

"She hits like a man! For a second I thought she was going to rip me manhood off and throw it in the street."

None of them said a word for the rest of the walk to their camp. They wanted to keep their focus on the upcoming battle. When they arrived at the camp, they would have just enough time to get loaded before it was time to ride over to the battle site. Kate was the first one to get started on reloading her guns, which was probably a good thing considering how many she had.

The scorching sun beat down on the 1st Texas Cavalry and the other re-enactors as they waited for the battle to begin. All of the cavalry stayed hidden in the trees, waiting for any sign of the train they were supposed to overtake once it reached the straight section of the tracks. Up on the rise above the tracks, the spectators waited in anticipation for the first gunshots to ring out. In the distance, the cavalrymen could hear the squeal of the train's wheels on the steel tracks, signifying that it was on its way. And then the ambush would begin. Their goal was to get the train to stop so that they could rid it of all of the Yankee soldiers on board.

In the meantime, Seamus sat atop Hermes, double-checking his ammunition in case he needed to get extra from someone when he heard a deep female voice off to his right. His head popped up to find Ellen and her friend strolling along the crest of the rise, carrying their parasols and little fabric purses. Ellen had put her skirt and crinoline back on from the look of it. Since he had been watching the women, he never even heard the train round the bend. When his eyes flicked back to Ellen, she now sat on the grass beside her friend, fanning herself with her frilly fan.

"Seamus! Get your rear in gear… We've got a train to overtake!" Kate shouted after cantering by him on her way to intercept the steam engine.

Seamus and Hermes raced along the tracks to catch up to Kate and Buster, and when he reached them, they had stopped beside the train after it had come to a stop, and Kate was already on board, making her way down the cars with her .44 in the air. He stayed on Hermes in case he had to chase after someone if they decided to bail from the train. After making sure that the surrounding area was secure, he sat there with his Remington in his hand and kept his eyes on the train car Kate occupied. A group of Yankees surrounded Kate, but she stood her ground and had pulled out another .44.

"I'm requisitioning this train in the name of the Confederate States of America. Now, I want all of you damn Yankees off of here in the next five seconds or else you get to taste some lead," Kate kept her jaw set and her hard gaze focused on the men surrounding her until they did as she said, and jumped off the train.

A major stepped up into Kate's face and puffed up his chest, "And what if I don't? What are you gonna do?"

"I SAID MOVE IT, ZIPPY!" She placed her booted foot on the major's lower back and kicked him off when he passed by her.

Sitting on Bo down by the water's edge, Gabriel smirked, "Well, that's one way of getting the job done."

After getting back to his feet, the major rallied his troop and pulled out his Colt, "Boys, let's show them who they're messing with. Give them a volley."

The blue troops lined up beside each other and quickly loaded their rifles. Once they were loaded, their commanding officer gave the command to fire. All hell broke loose afterwards. A Confederate regiment that had been hidden in the tall brush on the rise popped up from their hiding place and unleashed a storm of rifle fire on the Union regiment just as the 1st Texas Cavalry galloped up with their pistols trained on them. With all of the guns firing, it sounded as if they were in a middle of a hornet's nest. At one point, the Union broke rank and scattered when the Confederate infantry ran at them with their rebel yell. Even some of the cavalry was chasing after them, firing at their retreating heels, but all of a sudden the fun turned into a matter of life or death when one of the infantry soldiers collapsed on the flat ground by the river.

"Man down! We have a man down!" A sergeant shouted from where he knelt beside the poor man.

Up on the hill, Ellen heard someone shouting below her, and she looked down to see a man waving his arms around to get someone's attention. At first, she thought it was just for show, and then she saw the look of terror and concern on his face. Her senses kicked into overdrive in the seconds that followed, and she ran down the embankment with her friend right behind her while she pushed people out of their way as she went. She knew from experience that every second counted once someone had gone down.

"Move! Out of my way!" Ellen shoved past several re-enactors until she reached the fallen man, "I'm an EMT!" She immediately watched the man's chest to see if it rose and fell, and when she didn't see any movement, she looked up and pointed to two soldiers standing nearby, one an older man with a scruffy beard and the other one a younger man with glasses, "You two! Call 911 and get an AED! Now!"

Her friend had knelt down by the man's head and began to unbutton his wool jacket, thinking he had fallen from heat stroke, considering the temperature, but when she got to his shirt she struggled to rip the material. At the same time, Ellen was checking the man's carotid artery for a pulse.

"Ellen, I can't get his shirt off him!" Her friend said with an edge to her voice.

The scarlet-colored woman turned her torso around to face a group of cavalrymen on the embankment by the train tracks and yelled, "I need a knife! Someone get me a knife!"

While waiting to see if the Union men made a move to counterattack his group, Seamus heard a woman yelling, and turned to see Ellen kneeling beside a man on the ground with her friend by his head. The next thing that registered was her yelling for someone to get her a knife. For a minute he thought she was acting, but when he saw her frightened facial expression, he sprung into action. Kicking Hermes in the sides with his spurs, the two of them raced down the embankment toward Ellen and the re-enactor. While hanging onto the reins, Seamus reached into his boot and yanked out his bowie knife. He pulled Hermes to a stop beside the women and the man, and jumped from the saddle before running over to them.

"Watch out!" Seamus gently shoved Ellen out of the way, and then grabbed onto the man's shirt and slipped the knife's blade underneath, slicing upward with one quick motion. Afterwards, he dropped the knife to the ground and ripped the shirt the rest of the way open.

Ellen immediately started chest compressions once she had a clear view of the man's chest while her friend and Seamus looked him over for possible clues as to why he collapsed, "1…2…3… 4…5…"

The lilac-colored woman ran her hand over the man's arm and was becoming flustered, but just as she was ready to give up, she spotted a red welt on his side. On closer inspection she recognized it to be an insect bite or sting of some kind, "Ellen, it looks like he's been stung by a bee!"

Her friend grabbed hold of Seamus and put him in the spot she had been in, "Do thirty compressions and then give him two breaths. You need to see his chest rise. Keep repeating that!" She went over to look at the bite. _He must have a serious allergy to bee stings. _

"I can't see his chest rise when I give him the breaths! Is something wrong?" Seamus remained calm despite the situation they faced.

She took over at the man's head and noticed swelling of his face, and that's when an idea hit her. After opening his mouth, she could see that his throat was starting to close up from the reaction, "He's experiencing anaphylaxis! Faye, throw me the EpiPen in your purse!"

The other woman quickly pulled out the device and tossed it to Ellen, who set the amount to give and then slammed the needle into the man's thigh, injecting him with epinephrine. She held it there, praying they weren't too late. When she glanced up at Seamus, he was still giving chest compressions in hopes of getting the blood flowing, again. That was when a group of paramedics ran over to them and took over. They were able to get a breathing tube down the re-enactor's throat, and placed him on a gurney while Ellen kept giving him chest compressions along with the paramedics pumping air from a bag mask into his windpipe. After what seemed like the hundredth set of compressions, she placed two fingers on his carotid and smiled when she felt a faint thumping against her fingertips.

"He's got a pulse! It's a faint one, but it's a pulse!"

Once they had taken the re-enactor away to put him in an ambulance, Ellen walked over to a tree near the train tracks and slid down the trunk until her bottom hit the grass. She stared blankly ahead of her as if she was physically and mentally drained. Before long, her emotions won over, and she dropped her head to her knees and began to pray silently. Every day she faced a new challenge, and she had once again, proved to be successful. When she opened her eyes, a shadow in front of her caught her attention, and her eyes drifted up to meet Seamus's. At first, she didn't know what to say, so she just sat there with her back against the tree trunk, and then Seamus broke the silence.

"Are you all right?" Seamus asked, concern filling his voice as he stood there.

Ellen nodded and let out a sigh, "I'm fine… This is a normal occurrence for me being that I'm a EMT and also work in the ER," she didn't realize that she was starting to shake, partially from having her adrenaline kick in, "Thank you for helping me. I don't know what I would have done without you jumping in so quickly with that knife."

He squatted down in front of her, placing a hand on her upper arm, "You're welcome. I only wish I could have done more."

A small smile peeked out from the corners of her mouth at his gesture. She didn't want to admit it, but she enjoyed him touching her, and found it to be gentle. Strangely enough, her heart gave a little flutter of happiness every time she looked at him. _Why am I feeling attracted to him? This isn't me. _Before she could say anything in reply, one of the cavalry members trotted over to them to tell Seamus that they were heading out.

Seamus turned back to Ellen, "Just relax… and I hope to see you at the ball tonight," he gave her a wink before mounting up on Hermes and riding off with the rest of the 1st Texas.

_You too, _Ellen remained sitting against the tree, letting her mind process everything that had happened that day. It seemed as if she was taking her friend's advice, even if she didn't realize it. Maybe some men could be trusted…


	37. Chapter 37

(Disclaimer: This chapter is rated "M" for the brief mention of drugs)

**Chapter 37**

The Jefferson Institute was bustling with people attending the ball, and from what the men could see from where they stood outside of the pink building, it was going to be a full house. They waited on the women to join them after having changed into their dress uniform jackets, and they wondered what could possibly take them so long to put a dress on. Especially Casey, who leaned against the wall, gawking at some of the women going into the building. Seamus, on the other hand, had his phone out and was checking to see if he had any new messages on Facebook. Disappointed that there weren't any, he shoved the device back into his pocket and resorted to playing with a piece of his hair. Gabriel paced back and forth along the long porch, growing anxious. Finally, Rob stopped him.

"Gabriel! Would you stop? You're wearing a path in the rocks."

His son stopped moving and leaned against one of the wrought iron poles, "Sorry. I'm usually not impatient, but COME ON! How long does it take to put bloomers and a dress on?"

Five minutes later, the women strolled up and met the guys, bright smiles on their features. Kate slipped her arm through Gabriel's, and Mae's through Rob's. Ava took hold of Sean's hand and hauled him off inside to get a good table for the group. After opening the door for Kate and letting her go past, Gabriel noted that she wore her lavender and black dress she had worn the previous year. It was quickly becoming his favorite.

"What took you ladies so long? Did you get tangled up in your corset stays?" Gabriel asked jokingly.

"No, we were having trouble getting the bodice of my dress to come together in the back," Kate replied, "I guess I still haven't lost all of my baby belly."

The group joined Ava and Sean at a table near the doorway just inside of the ball room, and then Gabriel muttered under his breath, "Maybe you should work on that…"

"What did you say?" Kate's tone was icy, and when her husband looked at her, her eyes smoldered.

"Nothing, honey. I love you, honey," Gabriel sat down beside her, keeping a little distance in between the two of them in case she decided to hit him with her reticule.

His wife rolled her eyes while pulling out her fan from her reticule and started waving it in front of her face, "You carry an eight pound baby and see what happens to your stomach. Your washboard abs won't look like a washboard anymore. They'll look more like a lumpy pillow."

Some time after the ball had begun and the couples were swaying to a waltz, Seamus and Casey went to investigate, or more precisely, raid the refreshments table out in the open-air court yard. After getting himself a couple of chocolate chip cookies on a napkin, Seamus saw Casey staring dumbstruck at the bowl of lemonade. He, too, looked into the bowl and grimaced after joining him by the table; pink and red rose petals floated in the yellow liquid like they belonged there.

"The hell? Why are there flowers in the lemonade?" Casey finally spoke, and took one of the cookies from Seamus while he wasn't paying attention.

His cousin threw him a sideways glance, his brow furrowed, when he noticed that one of his cookies was missing. _Go get your own damn cookie, _"Your guess is as good as mine."

They stood by the table for several more minutes as they contemplated the possible reasons for putting flowers in lemonade. However, the sound of someone clearing their throat behind them made them turn around to find the source of the sound right behind them.

"Are y'all just gonna stand there like a couple of women trying to decide which shoes to buy, or are you gonna move so that the rest of us can get something to drink?" Ellen stood with her hands on her hips and an eyebrow raised in questioning. She wore a dark sapphire blue silk dress trimmed in black with her hair piled up at the crown of her head in small ringlets and decorated with black crystals.

Without saying a word, the two men stepped out of the way, allowing Ellen and her friend to get some of the lemonade while Seamus watched them curiously. He was starting to notice that whenever she was around a man, Ellen got an attitude, almost as if she had an issue with them. Casey, on the other hand, had discovered the finger sandwiches, and was stuffing his face with some of the cucumber and cream cheese ones. A light tap on his shoulder startled him, and he turned around to find the lilac-colored woman standing nearby with a sweet smile on her face. Her dress was a bright yellow and made from silk with a lace overlay on the skirt. The entire dress was trimmed in white lace and braiding. Casey stood in his spot with his cheeks resembling that of a hamster's from having food stuffed in them.

"Are you going to leave any for me?" She said in almost a whisper, and batted her eyes to appear more irresistible.

Casey forced the lump of food down and stepped out of the way so that she could get herself some of the sandwiches. In the meantime, he tried to think of something to say to her, but he was unable to form words, because her beauty had left him at a loss for words. It was strange that he hadn't noticed her earlier that day… Then again, he was more worried about getting away from her friend at the time. It finally dawned on him that she was the woman who had run out of the coffee shop with the Yankee chasing after her, "You're that woman from this morning at the coffee shop; the one that Yankee tried to have his way with… You have really cute bloomers." _Dammit, Casey! You're such an idiot! Now she probably thinks you just want to screw her, _"So, do you always prostitute on the weekends?" _Just shut up before you embarrass yourself any more than you already have, _he mentally kicked himself while trying not to make eye contact with her for fear she would be just like her friend.

After getting their refreshments, the two women disappeared into the ball room, leaving Seamus and Casey baffled by the encounter. Even after he had helped her save that man's life that afternoon, Ellen still seemed annoyed with Seamus, which struck him as odd. The men made their way back to the ball room and took their seats at the table while the others were still out dancing, only this time they were in the middle of the Patty Cake Polka. Seamus leaned back in his chair with his arms folded over his chest and watched the dancers, but then the sight of Ellen laughing with her friend caught his attention. The ladies sat a few tables to their left with a group of older women, and appeared to pay no attention to Seamus and Casey sitting alone at their own table. That was when Casey nudged him in the side with his elbow.

"I dare you to go ask Maleficent to dance with you during the next dance," he said with a laugh.

Seamus turned to look at him, a grin coming to his face, "Challenge accepted… And she's honestly not that bad. You just have to look past her glaring eyes and clenched fists."

"She mauled me on the sidewalk in front of the General Store, Seamus. How can you say she's not that bad? What woman does that to a guy?"

The dark green male stood up after the dance ended and gulped down some of the rose-laced lemonade. _Not bad, _"The ones who get called a whore."

"Me bad," Casey threw up his hands in surrender, "Maybe I need to just ask them ahead of time when I see one dressed in just their undies, 'Hey, are you a whore, or do you just like to walk around in your skivvies during the day?' Not many women will react well to that."

Ignoring his cousin's comment, Seamus made his way over to the table where the women sat. He stood there for a moment, and then cleared his throat to get their attention. When they turned around in their chairs to look at him, he was smiling pleasantly. Ellen eyed him suspiciously, unsure of what he wanted.

"Come dance with me," he directed his request toward Ellen, who stiffened up when she heard what he had said.

Without a moment's hesitation, she turned her gaze away from him and started to reach for her drink, "I'm good."

"Don't make me haul you out there over my shoulder."

_Did he seriously just-, _Ellen looked back up at him and saw that he was being serious, but there was not a chance in Hell that she was about to dance with a man, no matter how gorgeous he was, "You wouldn't…"

That was all he needed to hear. Before Ellen knew what had happened, she let out a yelp of surprise when Seamus scooped her up with one arm and slung her over his shoulder, much to everyone's surprise. After making sure he had a good grip on her, he headed out to the dance floor where the other dancers were starting to gather for a waltz, including his brother and Kate. Ellen kicked her feet against his stomach and beat on his shoulder blades with her fists, but his arm wasn't about to loosen its hold on her.

"Put... me… down!" She struggled against his bonds, but to no avail; he had her and wasn't about to let her go anywhere. When she looked down, she got a face full of his quite round bottom. _Ooh, he's got a nice ass…What the hell am I thinking?! He's carrying me like a feed sack!_

Seamus continued to walk with her struggling in his arm, and he actually had a grin of satisfaction come across his face, knowing he was winning this battle, "Not a chance."

Seeing his brother walk onto the dance floor with a woman flung over his shoulder, Gabriel stared open-mouthed at him, causing Kate to turn in order to see what had her husband so stunned. She hid a giggle at the sight of Seamus carrying the woman with her struggling to get away from him. After a few silent moments, Gabriel returned his attention to his wife and shook his head to clear his mind of what he had just witnessed. Apparently Seamus didn't take 'no' for an answer.

"I bet that was a good first impression," Gabriel commented while waiting for the music to begin.

Kate chuckled, "She's sure to fall for him now."

After setting her on her feet, Ellen tried to run back to her table, but Seamus grabbed onto her wrist and spun her back around to him. She fought him for nearly a minute until he finally pressed his stomach to hers and wrapped his arms around her waist, holding onto her wrists behind her back to keep her from fighting him. He stared into her eyes, his lips mere inches from hers. When he saw the look in her dark cobalt eyes he could see the anger burning in them. He had to figure out some way to get her to stop resisting him.

"Please, don't fight me; I just want to dance with you… Nothing else," his voice was calm when he spoke to her, and his hands stayed locked around her wrists, only they had released their tight hold.

The longer they stood on the dance floor, the more Ellen softened up. She eventually relaxed her stance and allowed Seamus to release his grasp from her wrists. Making sure that she wasn't going to make a run for it, he gently laid his hand on the small of her back and took her right hand in his while she laid her left hand on his shoulder. By no means was she ready to let her guard down, but she would be nice for a few minutes and dance with him. After all, he was rather attractive to her. His strong accent was what made her give in to him; there was just something about it that was intoxicating.

Ellen rolled her eyes as soon as the waltz began, "You won this time, buddy," she stuck a perfectly manicured finger in his face, "but don't you even think about getting me into bed with you, because that will never happen. I still have my dignity to keep."

"Fair enough. Besides, I don't sleep with women right after meeting them," he spun her out away from him and twirled her right back, "I prefer to win a woman's respect up front."

Meanwhile, Casey sat back in his chair staring longingly at Ellen's friend, who was in the middle of a jerky waltz with a Yankee corporal. She appeared to be enjoying herself despite her awkward partner, and that's what drew Casey to her. He was becoming frustrated, however, because every time he had gone to ask her to dance, another man got to her first. At this rate, he was bound and determined to dance with her before the night was over, even if it meant facing her devil of a friend and every other man in the room.

Back out on the dance floor, Kate swayed along to the rhythm of the music with her hoops pressed against her husband. They had kept their eyes on Seamus and Ellen just to see how she reacted to him, and also stayed close by in case Gabriel had to pull her off of him, but he was fairly certain that his brother could hold his own.

"She's quite beautiful, if you ask me," Kate commented, holding her skirt off the ground when she twirled so that she wouldn't trip on it.

Gabriel nodded in agreement, "She is, and she just needs someone like Seamus to rein her in a little. From what I've seen of her, she's a little spitfire."

In what seemed like no time at all, the dance had ended and the men were escorting the women back to their seats, thanking them for the dance. After returning her to her seat, Seamus thanked Ellen for the dance and went over to sit beside his cousin and brother, who smirked at him. Seamus didn't bother to ask what had Gabriel so amused, but he knew it probably had something to do with his encounter with Ellen moments before. Looking across the table toward the table where Ellen and her friend sat, he could see them gathering up their fans and purses before making their way to the ball room door. Were they leaving already? Then again, he realized that everyone was taking a break to get more refreshments. Excusing himself from his family, Seamus left the ball room to go outside for some fresh air. Once outside on the long porch, he could see the bottom of Ellen's blue dress disappear around the backside of the courthouse along with her friend's.

_Did I do something to upset her? Maybe she doesn't like to be around gatherings, _Seamus's mind wander as he walked across the abandoned street in the direction of the General Store. It was still open and had tourists strolling around inside as they shopped for souvenirs. He decided to go see if they had anything new in, and started for the door, but just as he passed by the flower pot that Casey had left his DNA on, something black caught his eye, and he looked down to see a black and white cameo brooch lying on the cement. After picking it up, he inspected it more closely. _That's Ellen's brooch. She must have lost it when she was beating Casey to a pulp, _Seamus thought about seeking her out to return it, however he figured that it was best to give it back to her at a later time so as not to make her think he was being desperate. He slipped the jewelry into the pocket of his jacket for safe keeping until he got back to camp and could put it in with the rest of his belongings. _I'll give her some time before I return it to her. I'm sure she'll be grateful to have it back._ A smile spread across his face at the thought of seeing the scarlet-colored woman again; for some reason, he was beginning to feel something for her, and not because she nearly murdered Casey.

Before 'quiet time' the family sat around underneath the tent fly in their civilian clothes, laughing and carrying on about different things, including the sight of Casey running in terror from a woman out to kill him. Even Casey had to laugh at himself, which was unusual for him to do. A few minutes later, Kate appeared from inside the tent after nursing Shannon and putting her to bed for the night. She took a seat next to her husband and cracked open a can of Dr. Pepper to give her a little boost to help keep her awake for a while longer. For the first time since she had met her husband's brother, she was surprised to see him without his shirt on, and actually liked what she saw; it was clear that all of the Dawson men kept their bodies toned and muscled up. The sight of his model-like body made it hard for her to pull her eyes away from him… and Casey, too.

"You know, I have never seen anyone, man or woman, run that fast before," Kate took a drink from her can and laughed, "I'm surprised she didn't castrate you on the spot, Casey. I would have loved to have seen your balls go rolling down Austin Street."

Casey narrowed his eyes at her, his lips pursed, "You have a sick sense of humor, you know that, Kate?"

She ignored his stare and leaned back in the chair, propping her feet up on the table in the center of the group, "I thought it was funny."

The others laughed at the situation for a good while, but Seamus grew tired of just talking, so he got up from his chair and headed for the trailer. The family watched him dig through the trailer, curious as to what he was getting out. After a while they went back to talking about the train raid and the way Ellen had saved the man with the bee sting. When Seamus didn't return a few minutes later they became worried and thought they should go look for him, but that was when the lights on the gazebo flashed on, catching their attention. Curious about what was going on when the camp was supposed to be quiet, they quietly left their camp and went over to the gazebo, where they were surprised to find Seamus sitting on the railing of the gazebo, tuning a fiddle.

Gabriel raised an eyebrow in questioning, his hands on his hips, "Um, what are you doing, Shay? The camps are supposed to be quiet, now."

"Lighten up, Gabe. It's time to liven up this place with some good music," Seamus looked to his brother after hearing him grunt in displeasure, "Not that Civil War music isn't entertaining."

A short distance from the campsite, Ellen and her friend were out for a nighttime stroll along the streets. The women had changed into simple day dresses without their crinolines, which made walking much easier. It was also a great opportunity for Ellen to clear her head, especially after her confusing encounter with Seamus at the ball. For some reason, she couldn't get the Irish male out of her head, and it was driving her nuts. Her friend nudged her in the side with her elbow to get her attention, and she turned her head to look at her.

"What is it, Faye?"

Her friend pointed ahead of them at the lit up gazebo in the park ahead of them, "Something must be going on in the park. Let's go check it out!"

They picked up their pace as they walked up the hill to Lion's Park. Along the way, Faye noted Ellen's changed behavior, but she wasn't going to say anything about it, knowing Ellen would just play it off as something stupid.

Back at the gazebo, Seamus jumped down from the railing and picked up his bow. Looking up, he saw that a small crowd had formed by the steps and was waiting to see what he was going to do. His family had found a good spot on the soft grass to plant their backsides, now intrigued by the prospect of him playing the fiddle.

_Time to fast forward one hundred and fifty years… _Seamus sucked in a breath of air and put the bow against the strings of the fiddle, and began to play a fast riff. After a few seconds, he started to sing, and when he did, his Irish accent disappeared, "_I spent last night in the arms of a girl in Louisiana. And though I'm out on the highway my thoughts are still with her. Such a strange combination of a woman and a child. Such a strange situation stoppin' every hundred miles. Callin' Baton Rouge."_

The entire camp had formed around the gazebo to watch the impromptu performance, and instead of being angry that the music had woken them up, they clapped along to the beat of the music when Seamus played the same riff as the beginning of the song. Even Gabriel was enjoying the sight of his own brother playing the fiddle.

"_A replay of last night's events roll through my mind. Except a scene or two erased by sweet red wine. And I see a truck stop sign ahead so I change lanes. I need a cup of coffee and a couple dollars change. Callin' Baton Rouge."_

After hearing the music, Ellen and Faye quickened their pace to a run. When they approached the large crowd gathered around the gazebo it took them a minute to realize who was playing the music, and as soon as Ellen saw Seamus on the gazebo steps shirtless and barefoot with the top of his jeans below his pelvis bones, she nearly had a heart attack. By now she was quite certain karma had snuck up on her and was wreaking havoc on her ability to keep believing that she hated men. If Faye had noticed her reaction, she didn't show it, which was a good thing. To keep Faye thinking that she despised men, Ellen stood completely still with her arms folded over her chest and put on her poker face.

"_Operator won't you put me on through. I gotta send my love down to Baton Rouge. Hurry up won't you put her on the line. I gotta talk to the girl just one more time," _Seamus was fully immersed in the song, his hips moving in time with the fiddle. His fingers were a blur as they moved over the strings during the instrumental break, causing the crowd to applaud, "_Hello Samantha dear, I hope you're feelin' fine. And it won't be long until I'm with you all the time. But until then I'll spend my money up right down to my last dime. Callin' Baton Rouge."_

Ellen's curiosity kept her from thinking clearly, making her slip away from Faye in order to get a closer view of Seamus. She disappeared behind the gazebo, keeping low so as not to be spotted by anyone. Easing herself up on the outside of the gazebo, she peered through the railing to watch him as he neared the end of the song. Her eyes fell on the black triskele tattoo on his left shoulder blade. On closer inspection, she noticed what appeared to be writing around it, but couldn't make it out. At the sight of his tattoo, the butterflies in her stomach went crazy. There was no doubt in her mind, that tiny winged bastard had jabbed her in the ass with his arrows of matchmaking… but she didn't have to let anyone know that. She would keep up her façade around people, especially Faye.

"_Operator won't you put me on through. I gotta send my love down to Baton Rouge. Hurry up won't you put her on the line. I gotta talk to the girl just one more time… Callin' Baton Rouge… Sweet Baton Rouge, my Baton Rouge."_

As soon as he drew the bow across the strings for the final note, the camp applauded loudly, which was sure to wake the surrounding households if the music hadn't already done that. Out of the corner of his eye he thought he saw some movement, and he turned around to the back of the gazebo to see what it was, but of course he didn't see anything, because Ellen had ducked out of sight just as he turned around.

Ellen scurried away and decided to go back to camp without Faye. Sure, her friend would be worried when she couldn't find her, but she needed to be alone for a while to sort out her thoughts. Hopefully, the time alone would do her some good. _I might as well admit it; I'm in love. Never thought that would happen, _she walked down the street, keeping her eyes on the dark allies in case she needed to protect herself, "Well, Ellen, time to go get a bottle of Jack from the Louisiana boys and drink yourself to sleep…"

Ellen walked down the hallway of the Paris Regional Medical Center on her way to the cafeteria for lunch. She wrapped her stethoscope around her neck, having just come from the ER, where she dealt with a woman experiencing chest pain. This was just a normal day for her, but today her mind was not in her work. Wherever she went, she kept seeing Seamus's face. It was as if Cupid was taunting her. And to make matters worse, she couldn't get the image of him playing his fiddle while shirtless out of her mind, but she had to admit that he was absolutely mouthwatering. Arriving at the cafeteria, she pushed opened the doors and got in the line right behind Faye, who greeted her happily.

"Look who finally made it! I thought they were holding you hostage in that ER," Faye put a chef salad on her tray, along with a bowl of fruit.

Ellen chuckled, "Nope. We just had a lot of patients to see."

The two women found a table near the windows and sat down with their trays before starting on their lunch. Ellen nibbled on an apple while Faye dug into her salad. They ate in silence for a while, but seeing how Faye always took an interest in hearing Ellen's stories from the Emergency Room, she spoke up.

"So, what interesting injuries do you have to tell me about, today?" She took a swig from her Cherry Coke.

Ellen tried to hide her grin, but that just made Faye lean closer to her so that her friend could tell her in a whisper without anyone overhearing their conversation. She knew it was against HIPAA to discuss patient matters, but she couldn't resist hearing what all went on with Ellen, "How about a fractured penis?"

Upon hearing about the strange injury, Faye sat back, her eyes wide, "I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around that one. How does that happen?"

After making sure that no one in close proximity could hear her, once again, Ellen replied, "The guy's girlfriend was pissed at him after they finished having sex, and she slammed the bathroom door on his wiener. It was hard not to laugh when he explained what happened."

"Ouchies! So, anything else interesting?"

Ellen rolled her eyes, "Just the usual broken leg or arm, difficulty breathing, choking…" she forked some of her noodles into her mouth, "Oh, but I did have to fish a bag of cocaine out of a druggie's rectum."

"That's… pleasant," Faye set her fork down after getting a disturbing mental image in her head.

"Um no. I would rather go to a house call involving explosive diarrhea and vomit than stick my finger up some guy's ass."

Faye rolled her eyes, not quite in the mood to explain that she had been sarcastic when she responded. She was in disbelief that Ellen was still eating calmly despite the nauseating deed of having to remove the baggie of cocaine, "I think I lost my appetite," she pushed her tray away from her.

Meanwhile, Seamus had just pulled up outside the hospital, Ellen's brooch in his pocket. He had decided that surprising her at work today and returning the brooch seemed like a good idea. _Let's just pray that Casey doesn't ask me where I was all day when I get back. I'll never hear the end of it! _

Seamus took a steadying breath as he walked up to the building. Even though he knew he had to see Ellen again, he was extremely nervous about how she would react to seeing him. He'd rather not end up on the wrong side of her temper – what happened to Casey was indication enough that it could get really, _really _ugly.

But still, what was life without the risks. He just really hoped he didn't have to fight off an angry woman. Pushing in through front double glass doors, Seamus braced himself. _This is it…_

"What in Hell's name are you doing here?!"

_Well, when I thought of surprising her, this wasn't exactly the response I imagined_, Seamus winced at Ellen's raised voice. He pulled out the brooch and held it out to her, "You dropped this while beating my cousin to a bloody pulp…I thought you might want it back."

Taking the brooch, Ellen blinked. Honestly, she felt charmed that he thought about returning it to her. She thought that she had lost it forever. _Oh come on, Ellen! First you can't stop thinking about him, and now you're actually charmed by him. Pull yourself together, girl! He isn't worth it,_ "You came all this way to return a bloody brooch!"

"Well, yeah," Seamus grinned impishly. _Okay, this is definitely not how I planned this conversation,_ "So…wanna have dinner sometime?" _Oh way to go, Seamus. Now you sound just like Casey._

"I'd rather not," Ellen said.

"Why not," Seamus asked, feeling slightly dejected.

"You're gonna get me fired!"

"How would I manage to do that?" Seamus gave her an unconvinced look, "I think you're trying to sidestep the question. Why not?" _I, for one, certainly don't see any reason why we shouldn't, _"And besides, you kind of owe me one. I did bring you your brooch, after all."

"Well," Ellen paused, thinking it through. For once, she knew he was right – she owed him one. But she didn't want to get too personally involved with a male. She just wasn't the type of girl that would get mixed up with a man...but on the other hand, it wouldn't hurt just this once. After all, he did her a favor and she should be thankful for that. It was just one night, after all, "All right. But just this once. And don't go getting the wrong idea. It's just because I owe you and it's not a date or anything, you got that?"

"Yes ma'am," Seamus said seriously. He had never intended it as a date, just as an occasion where he could get to know her better. There would be plenty of time to consider a relationship later.

"Now get out of here," Ellen said as she glanced at her watch, "My break is nearly over."

Seamus nodded before handing her a slip of paper with his number scribbled across it, "Call me when you're off so that we can plan dinner."

Ellen took it hesitantly and then strode off, leaving Seamus staring after her. After she rounded the corner, he walked back outside with a slight grin on his face. All in all, this was a successful trip.

**Author's Note: **The song "Callin' Baton Rouge" is the property of the artist.


	38. Chapter 38

(Disclaimer: This chapter is rated "M" for content) *There will be a deleted scene that goes with this chapter. It will be posted after the last chapter of the novel is posted.

**Chapter 38**

The day everyone had been waiting for had finally arrived, and Gabriel had been up since two o' clock that morning getting the rest of their belongings loaded into Rob's trailer. The last items to be loaded were the dresses and crinolines, and when he turned around to go get them, Kate was already standing there with the garment bags. She had the crinolines slung over her shoulder until he was ready for them. Once everything was safely packed inside the trailer, Gabriel shut and locked the door.

"Now we just have to wait on the others to get here so we can load the horses," he pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the time, "It was a good thing Casey brought the horses over last night, because knowing him, he'll be dragging up right at three-thirty."

Headlights flashed across the yard when the two of them were on their way back to the house, and Gabriel recognized his brother's burnt orange Chevy Avalanche pull up beside Kate's lime green Camaro she had been surprised with for Mother's Day. They watched as Seamus got out of his truck and went around to the other side to get something out. They were surprised to see him carrying a small animal carrier when he joined them. A little yip came from inside the carrier, and Kate leaned over to see inside, but the darkness kept her from getting a good view of what had made the sound.

"I hope you guys don't mind that I'm bringing my little princess along for the trip," Seamus replied, the sound of sleep still in his voice, "I didn't have anyone to watch her while we were gone."

Gabriel turned and headed for the house to see how close their parents were to being ready, "She won't bother us a bit. Go ahead and put her in Dad's truck if that's where you're planning on riding."

A few minutes later the rest of the 1st Texas started to show up with their trucks and trailers, and parked along the driveway. They had all planned to caravan on the drive up to Pennsylvania with Gabriel in the lead since he had the GPS. The sound of Sean's black diesel truck coming up the drive caught their attention, and they could see what looked to be a large decal on the side of his truck with some writing on it; however, they couldn't make it out in the darkness. After everyone was gathered around in the front yard, Gabriel went through roll call to make sure that everyone was there. When he got to Casey's name he received no reply. To see if he hadn't missed him answering, he looked up and saw that his cousin was nowhere to be found.

"See, Kate… What did I tell you earlier? I told you he'd wait until the last damn minute to show up," Gabriel rolled his eyes and sighed heavily; he had told everyone the day before to be on time.

Just as he was getting ready to rant about how Casey was always late, his cousin's dark blue lifted up truck barreled up the drive and screeched to a stop next to Seamus's truck. He climbed out of his tall truck and went around to the other side to get his daughter out, and then walked zombie-like in their direction. They watched as Casey drug his feet when he walked toward them while carrying Tate in her carrier and her diaper bag slung over his opposite shoulder. He looked as if he had literally just rolled out of bed and threw on a pair of torn jeans and a black tank top. The bottoms of his jeans were stuffed sloppily in his red and dark brown cowboy boots, and to add to his rugged appearance, his hair looked as if it hadn't even been touched. The only greeting he gave them when he stopped in the circle was a grunt.

"It's about time you showed up," Seamus chuckled, slapping his hand on Casey's shoulder, "Did you have too much sex last night… Oh wait, you don't have a girlfriend, so that means you must have been going through this month's issue of Playboy."

Casey threw Seamus a nasty glare, "You're one to be talking. I don't see anyone with jugs hanging off of you."

Seamus shrugged, but Casey kept talking, only this time he directed it to the others.

"I wanna know whose idea it was to leave at three freakin' thirty in the morning! Me hens aren't even awake at this time."

Rob walked over and threw a lead rope at him, "Oh, stop your bitching and help us get these horses loaded so we can get on the road. You can get you an energy drink when we stop to fill the trucks up."

It didn't take them long to get the horses loaded into the trailer, and after they locked the door to the trailer, everyone headed to the trucks they would be riding in. After getting in the passenger seat of Gabriel's truck, Kate turned on the GPS and set it for their destination while Gabriel went to the house to get Shannon and Charlie. She watched from the truck as he locked the front door and grabbed their daughter's carrier with her still fast asleep inside it. Shannon didn't wake up when he buckled her into the back seat next to Tate and Casey, who sat there tucking a blanket around Tate's feet and then popped her pacifier into her mouth. Casey prayed she didn't fuss too much, as she had been cranky for the past week since she had a new tooth erupting. It would make for one miserable drive if they had to listen to a teething infant wail for over twelve hundred miles.

Gabriel hopped into the driver's seat, a huge grin on his face knowing that they were on their way to what would be their biggest reenactment ever. He pulled out of the drive with the rest of the trucks and trailers right behind him. When they drove through the town it was virtually deserted being that it was still very early in the morning and most people were sound asleep in their homes. As they left Jefferson, the lights faded into the distance behind them, making a grin creep across Gabriel's face; there was no turning back, now. If they had forgotten anything, it was too late and they would just have to deal.

Pulling onto the highway a little while later, he glanced back in the rearview mirror and smiled at the sight of his cousin asleep with his head on the side of Tate's carrier with her grasping onto his finger as she slept. Even Shannon was still asleep, which surprised him; he figured she'd have woken up by now, wanting to be fed. To break the silence in the truck, he turned on the radio to listen to some country music to help keep him awake, seeing as Kate had also fallen asleep. Then again, it was still dark outside. They'd drive for a few hours and then stop to take a break and get breakfast before getting back on the road.

"Are we there, yet? Are we there, yet?"

Three hours later Casey had woken up and was already driving Kate and Gabriel to insanity. He was obviously bored from the way he stared blankly out the window at the trees passing by. To tune him out, Kate tried to read a little of a magazine she had brought along while Gabriel had turned up the music, but their efforts were futile. His voice penetrated deep in their heads to the point of Kate wanting to throw the GPS at him just to shut him up.

"Are we there now? I've got to pee like a racehorse," Casey leaned forward and put his elbows on the front seats.

"NO! We are not there, yet!" Gabriel had finally had enough of his constant talking and whining, "We are only in Arkansas. We won't get to Gettysburg until tomorrow afternoon."

Casey sighed dramatically and rolled his eyes, "But I can't hold it that long!"

Kate looked over to her husband and replied, "Can we kick him out here?"

Gabriel sighed heavily, "As much as I'd like to, no," he picked up the walkie talkie he had synchronized with the ones in Rob and Sean's trucks and called them, "Hey, are you guys ready to stop for a bit? Casey needs to tinkle… and I'm getting hungry."

"Sounds good to us. I need to stretch my legs, anyways," Rob's voice came over the other end a few seconds later.

"Same here!" Sean agreed from his side.

Gabriel stepped out his truck, thankful for a chance to stretch his legs…and to get away from his cousin's antics. They weren't even halfway to Pennsylvania and Casey had already driven both him and Kate to the brink of insanity. He had just about had enough.

"How are you two handling him?" Riley asked, amused as he watched his son do a mad dash for the restrooms.

"We're NOT handling him," Gabriel sighed in frustration. "He's already making me want to do something drastic. In fact, he's lucky I haven't strangled him yet!"

"Bad luck, Gabe!" Seamus chuckled after joining the rest of the group near the front of the restaurant.

"Can't one of you guys take him for the rest of the way?" Gabriel gave the others a hopeful glance, but was immediately met by refusals. "Damn."

"Sorry son," Rob laughed at Gabriel's expression, "You'll just have to deal."

"Well, if we arrive at Gettysburg with a corpse, don't blame us," Kate said, just as frustrated as her husband was, "He's asking for it."

The rest of breakfast was quiet, save for a few chuckles at the thought of the conversation that passed and a very confused Casey returning from the restroom to find a very frustrated Gabriel. Needless to say, he was quiet for the next hour or so.

Rob's truck had turned into a party bus by the time the caravan rolled over the Mississippi River into Memphis, Tennessee. Everyone in the truck was having a blast singing the songs that came on the radio, some of them getting very animated with their singing. At the moment, they happened to be jamming to Michael Jackson's 'Billie Jean', with Riley doing his best to impersonate the King of Pop's falsetto voice. Since they had quite a bit of a drive left until they stopped for the night, they decided to make the most of it.

"_People always told me be careful of what you do. And don't go around breaking young girls' hearts. And mother always told me be careful of who you love. And be careful of what you do, because the lie becomes the truth…"_

As soon as he got to the chorus, the rest of them in the truck joined in with their own renditions of Michael Jackson.

"_Billie Jean is not my lover. She's just a girl who claims that I am the one. But the kid is not my son. She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son…"_

Meanwhile in Gabriel's truck, they were in the middle of singing along with the radio, as well… or more precisely, Casey was since Kate and Gabriel couldn't get past the song that he was singing very enthusiastically. Kate tried her best to ignore her husband's cousin, but it was damn near impossible. Gabriel, on the other hand, kept his focus on the road ahead of them and just shook his head in wonder; he knew they couldn't come back from the trip without Casey doing something to stun and amaze them. All of them would have been okay if the song he had chosen to sing along with wasn't 'Show Them to Me' by Rodney Carrington.

"… _I don't care if they don't match or one's bigger than the other. You can show me one and I'll imagine the other,_" Casey threw a wink toward Kate, eliciting a middle finger from her in return, "_Even if you're really old, there's nothing wrong. Don't be sad you're boobs ain't bad, they're just a little loooong!_"

Kate slowly turned to face Gabriel, her jaws clenched tightly, "I swear I am going to kill him before we get to Pennsylvania."

"Here," he handed her a small knife that he kept in the console in case he ever needed it for something, "Just don't get blood on my seats."

"_Show them to me, show them to me. Lift up your shirt and let the whole world see. Just disrobe, show your globes and a happy man I'll be. If you got dos chi chi's… Show them to me…_"

All Kate and Gabriel could do was to ignore Casey, because they were stuck with him until they stopped for the night, and none of them knew when or where that was going to be. Gabriel had hoped to make it to Knoxville, Tennessee before they stopped to get a hotel; all that would be left of the drive was the haul north through Virginia, and they would tackle that the next day. He figured if they got up early and left by six o'clock, they would make it to Gettysburg in the early afternoon. And the sooner they got there, the more time they would have to get camp set up and go sightseeing.

Gabriel slipped into a daydream, picturing the peak of Little Round Top, where Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain ordered his famous bayonet charge; the woods where General John Reynolds was killed; and the long stretch of fields where thousands of Confederate soldiers were slaughtered as they made their brave, but futile march to overtake the Union lines on the crest of Cemetery Ridge. He couldn't wait to put his feet on the very same ground and feel the energy coming from the earth which had been soaked with the blood of the thousands upon thousands of men who had given their lives for what they believed in.

The sound of Shannon crying pulled him out of his daydream, causing him to glance into the rearview mirror to see what had upset her. A small smile came to his face when he saw his cousin gently stroking her tiny hand and talking to her softly in an effort to calm her. It was heartwarming to see Casey trying his hardest to soothe her even though Shannon was not about to stop crying.

_Of course he's going to try to figure out what's wrong with her, _Gabriel thought happily. _He may appear to be an idiot at times, but when he sees a baby upset, his daddy instincts kick in._

"Gabe, I'm pretty sure Shannon's hungry. Do you have a bottle made?" Casey asked a few minutes later, still rubbing Shannon's hand.

Gabriel glanced back at Casey, "And what do you expect to warm it up with? Kate's just gonna have to nurse her."

Kate gave him an appalled look, "You want me to take my baby out of her safe carrier and nurse her while we are going seventy-five miles per hour down the Interstate? Are you crazy?!"

"Well, do you have any better suggestions? It's not like we can hold a lighter underneath it until it warms up…"

The truck cab was silent for the next ten seconds while they thought about what Gabriel had mentioned. It was quite possible that it would actually work, and the men wouldn't have to deal with an unhappy mommy. Almost immediately Casey dug through his bag and pulled out a Zippo lighter with a grin. After Kate handed him a premade bottle with a sigh, he flipped open the metal lid of the lighter and put the flame underneath the bottle, occasionally rotating the bottle to make sure all of it got heated. Satisfied that he had kept the flame on it long enough, he put the lighter away and tested the liquid on his wrist to ensure that it was the right temperature before giving it to the hungry infant. Casey eased the nipple of the bottle into Shannon's mouth, and she started to suck on it almost ravenously, which surprised him.

Kate was pleased to see that her daughter was happy and that Casey had helped to make her happy, "I'm shocked, Casey. You're a pretty awesome dad."

"Thank you, Kate," Casey smiled at her complement; he was glad to hear that someone thought he was a good father. If only Aoife had thought the same. Glancing back to the little baby, Casey couldn't help but feel his heart warm at the sight of his cousin's daughter in her carrier, sucking contentedly from her bottle as he held onto it. It made him wish that his little girl was still that small even though she was just starting to walk. Would he ever remarry? He didn't know, but he was bound and determined to find the perfect mother for his baby girl.

The caravan rolled into Knoxville, Tennessee later that afternoon, and Gabriel started to look for a hotel that had a big enough parking lot to accommodate all of their trailers. There was still a lot of daylight left; however, the others were just as tired as he was and wanted to flop onto a soft bed with a good dinner in their bellies, and Kate wanted a relaxing shower to ease her stiff back from sitting for so long. First, they would get their rooms, and then they would go in search of food to satisfy their growling stomachs.

To Seamus's displeasure, he ended up rooming with Casey and Tate, not that he minded the baby. He wasn't looking forward to his cousin's obnoxious snoring and the occasional talking in his sleep he had the misfortune of hearing when they were at the Jefferson reenactment. Hearing Casey talk about bending a woman over and screwing her silly was not something he wanted to relive any time soon.

Dropping his bag on the bed closest to the window and setting the animal carrier on the floor next to the bed, Seamus turned to Casey, "Alright, I'm claiming the bed next to the air conditioner, because I get hot very easily at night, and I don't think you want to see this stud stripping to get cool."

"I wouldn't want to see you strip anyways," Casey said as he changed Tate's diaper, "Besides, I wouldn't want the whole size thing to come between us."

Seamus ignored Casey's comment and disappeared into the small bathroom with bottles of his shampoo and conditioner, as well as an expensive-looking bottle of body wash, "And don't you even think about touching my body wash. That crap was expensive!"

"Then why'd you even buy it?" Casey muttered to himself before following Seamus out of their room with Tate on his hip to meet up with the others in the lobby.

Once in the hotel's lobby, the large group decided to walk to the nearest fast food place to get dinner. They were in luck when they discovered a group of eateries within a couple blocks of the hotel, which made everyone happy since they had different tastes in food. All of them ate quickly, as they were ready to collapse on their beds and watch T.V. or just get an early bedtime in seeing as they'd be up early the next morning for the rest of the drive.

Back in their room, Gabriel relaxed on the king size bed with Shannon nestled in his arms while she sucked down the last drops of formula from her bottle. He could feel exhaustion setting in and was almost ready to ask Casey to drive the rest of the way, but he knew the road down South Mountain would be a challenging obstacle since it was a steep grade. He'd heard from re-enactors that had been to Gettysburg before that that particular road tested their driving abilities and made them discover muscles in the lower halves of their bodies they didn't even know they had. Not that he didn't trust his cousin's driving skills; he just didn't want his truck and trailer dangling precariously over a guardrail.

_That's gonna be a fun drive. Hope my brakes are good, _he looked down at his daughter, who looked up at him with the nipple of the bottle still in her mouth even though she had sucked the bottle dry moments before, "You could use a nap, Shannon. I'll have Mommy feed you one more time before putting you to bed later," shifting the infant up to his shoulder, Gabriel gently patted her back to burp her.

"I don't know about you, but I'm ready to pass out," Kate walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her head like a turban with another one around her body. She sat down on the end of the bed after pulling a silk chemise and matching panties out of her bag, "I'll be glad when we finally get there. I'm excited to see the Appalachians."

"Me too, baby. I can't wait to drive up Emmitsburg Road into the town and see all of the monuments scattered in the fields," Gabriel laid Shannon down beside him and covered her small body up with her yellow blanket so that he could change into his pajama pants.

Kate flopped onto her back and stared up at the hotel room ceiling, thinking about what was to come in the next few days. She'd never been to a place with so much history, and like her husband, couldn't wait to see where everything happened all those years before. _It will melt my heart to see Gabe so happy when he sees everything. I may never get him away from the place._

Midnight arrived and Seamus was still wide awake, sprawled out on his bed and staring up at the ceiling. As he had feared, Casey was doing his best to keep him awake with his snoring, and what made it worse was the fact that it was the open-mouthed kind of had tried to sleep, but as soon as Casey had gone to bed that opportunity disappeared. At some point he had tried covering his head with the pillows and sleeping with toilet paper stuffed in his ears. No matter what Seamus did, the sound of the snoring seeped through.

_I've got to get some sleep. _Seamus leaned over the bed and found his boots beside the bed, which gave him a nasty idea. He picked one up before throwing it at his cousin across the room.

The heel of the boot hit Casey on the stomach, making the other male flail around under the sheets until he found the boot beside him on the bed. After realizing what had hit him, he said, "What the hell, Seamus?! You're throwing boots at me, now?"

"For the love of all things holy, SHUT UP!" Seamus yelled, not even caring if he woke the people in the other rooms, "I'm trying to sleep! And that's hard to do when I've got you over there sounding like a damn wood chipper!"

Casey rolled over onto his side, keeping his back to Seamus, "Geez, someone's a light sleeper."

"Just keep the snoring to a minimum before I kick you out into the hallway," Seamus turned away from him and put a pillow over his head just in case. If he could get a few hours of sleep, he'd be okay and wouldn't be grumpy for the rest of the drive.

Gabriel's mood had changed drastically as they neared South Mountain outside of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania the next afternoon; it had started to rain to the point of not being able to see the vehicle in front of them. That would cause problems, especially when it came to the drive down South Mountain. They found out soon enough what a challenge that was. Almost immediately, the road started to wind down around the mountain, making Gabriel keep his foot on the brake pedal to keep the truck from skidding out of control. Along the drive down the mountain, the sight of runaway truck pits just made them more uneasy, knowing that they might have to use one of those if Gabriel couldn't control his truck.

"Oh, my God! Gabriel, slow down!" Kate cringed when the truck nearly hit a guardrail going around a sharp turn, "You're going to send us over the edge!"

"Kate, I know what I'm doing. Calm down," Gabriel kept his eyes on the road ahead of him despite barely being able to see anything through the sheeting rain.

About that same time an impatient driver decided to pass them a little too close for Kate's liking, causing her to panic, "Watch out for that car!"

"Woman! Do you want to drive?"

"NO!" Casey shrieked, knowing that they would surely die if Gabriel let Kate drive the rest of the way down the winding, slick road.

Everyone in the green truck was relieved when they reached the bottom of South Mountain, and strangely enough the rain had stopped, almost as if they had just been caught in the only rain shower in Pennsylvania. Along the side of the road they were starting to see historical markers, indicating that they were getting close to their destination. Gabriel could feel his excitement building. When he glanced at the GPS and saw that they were only five miles out, he accelerated on the gas pedal.

"Honey, please don't get pulled over from speeding," Kate hid an amused grin; she knew this trip meant everything to her husband, "We'll get there soon enough."

After turning onto Pumping Station Road, they looked off to their left and noticed a field and some woods packed with white canvas tents and hundreds of cars; they had finally made it. Before setting up camp, every single one of them had to register and turn the horses' papers in to give them the okay to participate in the reenactment. The worst part was standing in the mile long line for the registration. To keep himself from going crazy while waiting, Gabriel glanced around at the scenery, but that was when he looked to the east and his eyes fell on the two hills in the distance, one of them being a little higher than the other: The Round Tops.

They were finally standing on hallowed ground… Well, they would be once they went into town.

Gabriel couldn't help the huge grin that spread across his face. It was the moment he had been waiting for – probably one of the happiest, yet big ones of his life. He felt quite delirious as excitement overtook him. As soon as he was able to get the tent up he was going exploring. There was just so much he wanted to do and see.

Noticing his cousin's goofy smile, and pretty sure that Gabriel wasn't paying attention to the line anymore, Casey spoke up, "Uh, Gabriel, you okay?"

Snapped out of his thoughts, Gabriel tried to refocus his attention on moving up the line, "Never been better."

Kate chuckled at this exchange. She was excited, too now that they were in Gettysburg but she hoped that Gabriel would be able to hold his excitement in long enough to get the more important things out of the way first. They would go exploring later.

The 1st Texas Cavalry found a nice place to camp in a thick grove of trees near the Confederate artillery camp. Gabriel backed his trailer into a clearing after spotting a prime location underneath the boughs of a few trees to put their wall tent. Casey was the first one out of the truck, as he wanted to get the horse line ready so that he could get them unloaded and tied up. He stepped into the trailer's tack room and came back out with a long rope before tying it behind the row of tents in a clearing, both ends tied around the trunks of two trees. He noticed a trough of water and bales of hay off to the side, which was a good sign that they would be taken care of by the event coordinators. Without waiting for the others, Casey opened up the trailer door and received a chorus of whinnies from the trailer's occupants.

"I bet you guys are ready to get out and walk around," he led Athena and Dionysus outside, one horse on either side of him.

While he was busy with the horses, Kate and Gabriel were in the middle of sliding the brace beam of the tent through the holes in the canvas at the same time that Riley and Seamus were unloading the poles from Rob's trailer. As soon as they had the beam hoisted in the air above their heads, the two men quickly stuck their poles into the beam and stood the tent up.

"Are my pole dancers ready? Kate and I are gonna get the four corners staked down," Gabriel laughed at his joke and went over to get a couple of stakes and ropes.

Seamus ran his hand over his abs in exaggeration, "Oh yeah, baby. I just love rubbing my goods against a wooden pole covered in splinters."

"Whatever you do, you had better not let go of that pole," Kate shook her hammer at Seamus, a dangerous look in her eyes, "or you won't have any goods to worry about getting splinters in."

Just like they had in Jefferson, it didn't take them more than twenty minutes to get the tents set up and their belongings dumped inside; they would worry about organizing everything later. Remembering his traveling companion, Seamus hurried over to Rob's truck and removed the pink animal carrier from the back seat. The others gathered around to investigate when he set the carrier on the ground and opened the door. All of them stared amazed at the tiny ball of white fluff that walked out of the carrier and over to its owner, its fluffy tail wagging happily. On closer inspection, they saw that the little dog was wearing a Confederate battle flag collar covered in coordinating rhinestones and had its toenails painted a bright red. Putting two and two together, all of them figured out that the dog was a girl.

"What the hell is it?!" Casey broke the silence while staring at the dog bouncing up on Seamus's legs, waiting for him to pick her up, "It looks like something I'd wax me truck with."

Seamus bent over to pick up his dog and held her tucked underneath his arm, "This is Tutu. She's a teacup Pomeranian."

"Tutu? You couldn't have come up with something more manly?"

"She's a girl, you idiot!" Kate walked over and started to scratch Tutu between the ears, making the little dog wag her tail in full force, "And don't you even think about saying anything bad about her. She's just the cutest little thing I've ever seen!"

The dog's owner lifted her up and rubbed his nose against Tutu's, receiving a face full of licks afterwards, "She's Daddy's little diva. Yes, she is!"

Casey couldn't stand the sight of his cousin cooing to a dog, especially one as small as she was. He turned away from the group and walked off toward his own tent to check on Tate, "I think I'm gonna be sick…"

The sun was already dipping down in the western sky when the Dawsons decided to go into the town of Gettysburg to scope out a place to eat dinner. While most of them were more concerned about getting food in their stomachs, Gabriel couldn't wait to see the battlefield with the hundreds of monuments scattered throughout it, and they would have to drive straight through the middle of the battlefield to get to the town. Afraid that Gabriel wouldn't pay attention to the road on the way there, Casey got behind the wheel after they unloaded the trailer in the designated area for the cavalry, and his cousin and Kate occupied the backseat and the passenger seat. Nearly hitting another truck in the process, Casey squealed out onto the main road in the direction of Emmitsburg Road a few miles east of their location. Kate clung to the handle on the door, afraid that Casey would smash into something; she didn't trust his driving any more than she could throw him. With his fast driving, it didn't take them long to reach the main road into Gettysburg, and once again, Casey peeled out onto that road.

"Casey, dear," Kate spoke up while still holding onto her door, "Can you please not kill us with your horrid driving?"

Casey took his eyes off of the road to look at her, "I'll have you know that I passed me driving test on the first try."

"The instructor probably passed you just so he wouldn't have to see you a second time," she mumbled more so to herself than to him.

The two in the front of the cab jumped when Gabriel squealed with excitement after they entered the battlefield. He was almost ready to claw his way out of the truck just so he could go read some of the monuments, "Ooh! It's the peach orchard!" Careful not to bump into Shannon's carrier, he leaned over to look out of the window on his left side and shuddered, "Oh…my… God. The fields where Pickett's Charge took place. I must walk over them…"

"You okay, Gabe?" Casey looked into the rearview mirror and cocked an eyebrow in questioning when he saw his cousin almost drooling as he looked out the window, "You sound like you're gonna have an orgasm."

And that was when Gabriel saw it on the crest of Cemetery Ridge ahead of them at their one o' clock with many tourists surrounding it: the unmistakable Copse of Trees. The small cluster of trees had been the place where the Confederate infantrymen had intended to converge on the Union center at the climax of Pickett's Charge. He wanted to run over to the trees and read the plaque in front of them, and he also wanted to find the location where Brigadier General Lewis Armistead had been shot, knowing it was near the Angle, which was only a few yards away from the Copse of Trees.

_Stay calm, Gabe. You'll have plenty of time to walk around the battlefield. _Gabriel forced himself to look away from the battlefield. The sound of his stomach growling caught his attention, telling him that he needed to eat soon.

Casey drove past the Gettysburg National Cemetery and pulled into a gas station at an intersection where Emmitsburg Road met with the former Baltimore Pike. All three of them clambered out of the truck, taking the babies with them.

"Okay," Casey said after he pulled his phone out of his pocket and read a text from Seamus, "Shay said he's gonna meet us here in a minute while the others look for somewhere to eat. He wants to go look around town for a bit," he quickly typed back a message and sent it.

Not long afterwards, Gabriel waved when he saw Seamus across the street, walking their way. He checked the traffic before running across the street to their location. The Dawsons then made their way up the street toward the Jennie Wade Winery where they were joined by Sean and Ava. It looked as if they had already been inside the winery since Ava held a brown paper sack with a skinny bottle top sticking out of the top of it. Apparently they were going to do some drinking that night when they got back to camp.

"We got a little time, so let's go explore," Sean led the way with the others behind him, looking around at the old buildings and souvenir shops as they passed them.


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39**

The late evening sky looked like a watercolor masterpiece with different hues of pink, orange, yellow and lavender swirled together. Having filled their stomachs with a good dinner, the family returned to their camp and noticed that it had been filled to capacity with at least ten other Confederate cavalry units. Gabriel and Seamus went over to untie Bo and Hermes from the line after they had decided to go for a ride to inspect the field they would be riding on during the reenactment. They were not surprised when they found Casey putting his McClellan saddle on Dionysus while the paint gelding grazed on a patch of green grass.

"I take it you're planning on going with us?" Gabriel asked as he set his own saddle and blanket on the ground and untied Bo from the line.

The light green male shrugged his shoulders and tightened the strap underneath his horse, "I didn't know you were going anywhere, but sure."

After mounting into their saddles, Gabriel, Seamus and Casey were about to ride off to the open field on the other side of the civilian camp when Moira showed up with Casey's daughter on her hip. The baby girl was calm until she saw her father getting ready to leave, and then she reached her small arms out toward him and fought to get away from Moira.

"Tate, you can't go with Daddy." Moira struggled to hold on to the squirming baby, "Would you stop fighting me?"

Casey couldn't stand the sight of Tate reaching out to him with a longing look in her eyes; unknown to the others, he had taken Tate riding with him several times before and discovered that she loved it, "Mom, hand her up here. She can ride in front of me."

"Are you crazy, Casey?! You're going to take your baby riding, again?!" Moira stared at her son in disbelief, her eyes wide with fear.

Not even caring if he gave his mother a heart attack, he replied, "She loves it! Now, give me a stóirín to me before she starts screaming."

All his mother could do was relinquish the baby to Casey, who sat her in front of him with his arm wrapped securely around her middle to keep her from falling off. Having gotten her settled, Casey took the lead with the other two behind him, leaving Moira shaking her head at him. She should have known that her son would get Tate accustomed to riding horses at a young age. Eventually, the woman turned her back on the forms of the men disappearing down the road, reassured that Casey wouldn't let anything happen to his daughter.

Casey's body rocked gently against Tate's as Dionysus kept at a steady walk in the middle of Bo and Hermes. What he really wanted to do was get his horse cantering, and possibly galloping, but in the back of his mind he knew if his mother saw them doing that she would have a stroke. Then again, Tate was just like him. He tapped the gelding in the sides with the heels of his boots, making him pick up speed to a trot. Gabriel and Seamus followed his lead and got their horses to trot beside him knowing he wouldn't do anything too crazy since he had Tate with him. But they were wrong about that; before long, they were watching Dionysus's hindquarters move out in front of them when he was pushed into a canter. Not wanting to be left behind, they found themselves kicking their geldings into a canter.

"Moira is going to kill you, Casey!" Gabriel called after his cousin, but couldn't help laughing at the situation.

His cousin ignored him as he was too busy making sure that Tate was secured in front of him. The baby girl had a wide grin on her face and giggled at the feeling of the bouncing horse underneath her. Casey adored seeing his daughter enjoying the ride and wondered how she would react if he got Dionysus up to his full speed. Then it dawned on him; the day he had met Kate, Tate had been on Dionysus with him when he had finally gotten the horse to gallop up the road to the farm. He looked up and saw a huge open area of the field spread out in front of the suttlery and the low stone wall that would be used during the reenactment. That was when the idea hit him.

"Let's just see if you two really know how to ride," Casey gathered his reins up so that there wasn't much slack in them, "I'll race you to the suttlery."

Gabriel glanced over at him with a worried look on his face, "Come on, Casey. Don't do anything stupid since you have Tate with you. She might fall off."

"Do you think I'd let me own daughter fall off?" When he saw them staring with straight faces, he continued, "I didn't think so. Now, on the count of three…"

_He's insane! Tate could get hurt. _"Casey, let's not race. We're perfectly fine just like this."

"One…" his cousin started to count, keeping an eye on him.

Seamus rolled his eyes at his brother and pulled his own reins up in preparation. He was all for a friendly competition, "Gabe, lighten up. Let's have some fun!"

"Two…"

"Seamus, don't tell me you're going along with this," Gabriel noticed that he was going to be left behind if he didn't get himself situated, and fast. He lifted his rear end off of the saddle so that he wouldn't get bruised from slamming into the horn.

Casey tightened his arm around Tate, pinning her against his hips, and then kicked Dionysus in the sides, "See ya!" The two of them surged forth into a gallop, leaving the others a few seconds behind them.

The baby girl giggled and clung to small clumps of the horse's mane when she felt the wind hit her face and caused her father to laugh out loud. There was nothing more exhilarating than feeling the power beneath him and seeing his daughter enjoying herself as they flew over the field with Gabriel and Seamus on his flanks. Chancing a glance behind him, Casey checked underneath his left arm and saw that Gabriel was closing the gap and knew it was time to show them what Dionysus was capable of. Up ahead of them he could see the ground flatten out. Making sure that he kept his arm locked around Tate, he leaned forward in the saddle and gave the horse some pressure with his legs. That was when the horse's spirit came alive; within seconds he flew forward, leaving the other two in his dust.

"Let's fly, Dionysus! Come on!" Casey whooped with pure joy at the feeling of being on such a powerful animal. _I live for this!_

The paint gelding arched his neck and lifted his tail when he reached his full speed within seconds. His nostrils flared out to help him breathe more easily when he ran; this was what he was born to do.

Gabriel stared, mouth agape when Casey left them behind. He had never seen a horse run like that with his legs outstretched to their full length, and his silky brown and blonde tail draped like a cascading waterfall, "That's one hell of a horse!"

"There's no way we're going to catch up to them, now," Seamus kept Hermes galloping after the paint gelding even though he knew they had already lost. For the rest of the race he would just admire the sight of Casey disappearing ahead of them, mainly to watch the horse run.

Ellen and Faye strolled happily along the rows and rows of suttlery tents and sipped on glass bottles of old-fashioned root beer. They had arrived at the reenactment location a few hours prior and had already gotten their tent set up in the civilian campsite before deciding to check out the suttlery. They had just left a women's attire tent and was on their way to the next row of tents when they heard what sounded like a faint pounding in the distance. Curious as to what it was, the two women rounded the corner and saw three men on horses riding them as hard as they could across the field. What caught their attention was the paint horse way out ahead of the other two and gaining speed as they got closer to the suttlery. Ellen stopped and stared awestruck at the scene before her; she had never seen anything quite so amazing as what she was watching. The way the horse's rider held himself in the saddle left her wondering how he was able to ride so perfectly. She couldn't think of how to describe the sheer beauty of the gelding for she was mesmerized.

"That's a beautiful horse," Ellen finally spoke after what seemed like ages, but kept her eyes on the three horses.

"That's a beautiful man."

Ellen pulled her attention away from the race to see Faye staring at the man on the paint gelding with her mouth hanging open and hazel eyes wide, "Really? There's an amazing horse out there, and you're watching the person riding the horse? What's wrong with you?"

"He's gorgeous. He's sexy. He's delicious. He's buff. He's…" Faye responded while keeping her eyes fixed on the man riding the horse as they neared the suttlery.

"Someone that you should stay away from," Ellen rolled her eyes at her friend, knowing well enough that she wasn't paying attention to what she had to say.

A few minutes later, Ellen and Faye were walking through the other half of the suttlery. Suddenly, Faye stopped walking. Ellen gave her friend a slightly annoyed glance, "What is it now?"

"Look who's heading this way," Faye giggled.

Ellen followed her friend's gaze and recognized the men they saw riding earlier. She gave an annoyed sigh, not in the mood to deal with men.

"You know that you can't avoid men all your life, Ellen," Faye said, seeing her friend's expression.

"I can try," Ellen huffed. "I just don't see how it'll be worth it."

Faye shook her head, but said nothing. There simply was no reasoning with her. Just because the girl had had a rough past it didn't mean that she had to totally shut herself up. _She's just not found the right one yet. _Her eyes met Casey's accidentally and lingered maybe a little bit too long. He held her gaze for a while until one of the other men pulled his attention away from her. Seeing that the three men were nearing, Faye ducked into one of the tents to keep the other two from noticing her.

When Ellen turned to say something in reply to her friend she noticed that she had disappeared, but that was when a hand reached out and pulled her into the tent with a yelp. She turned around and found Faye's finger against her lips and watched as she peeked around the doorway of the tent like she was looking for someone.

"What are you doing Faye? Why did you pull me into a tent full of uniforms?" Ellen removed the finger away from her and stood in front of Faye with her hands on her hips.

"They'll see us, Ellen," Faye kept her eyes peeled on the Dawson men, who stood across the row just outside of a leatherworks tent, "Those devastatingly yummy creatures that are God's gift to women."

Once again, Ellen rolled her eyes at Faye, "It's that time of the month where you find anything with broad shoulders and male parts attractive, isn't it?"

"Actually no," Faye whirled Ellen around to look at the men across from them. "How can you not find them gorgeous?"

_Now that I get a good look at them, they look very familiar. Oh wait, one of them is Seamus! No idea who the other two are._ "Just keep your distance from them, Faye."

The other woman started to leave the tent and walk over to the men, her mind completely captivated by the sight of them standing there in the evening sunlight with their long hair blowing gently in the breeze, "I wonder what they smell like?" Her eyes were fixed on the shortest of the three, the one leaning against the metal pole that held the corner of the tent up and wearing a tight-fitting black tank top and torn light wash jeans. _Please be single, please be single…_

Meanwhile, Casey had set Tate down so that she could stretch her legs a little, but was keeping a close eye on her as he didn't want her to wander off on her own and get lost. He didn't think he'd ever forgive himself if something happened to his daughter.

Seamus smiled at the sight of his cousin keeping a watchful eye over his daughter, "She really means a lot to you, huh?"

"Yeah," Casey replied, smiling, "She's been me world since Aoife left. I don't know what I would've done without her," he remembered the lonely nights directly after his ex moved out, and how Tate had been a great comfort to him. That was why he fought so hard to keep his daughter. He needed her, probably a bit more than she needed him.

"Uh, Casey…" Seamus pointed behind Casey with a raised eyebrow, "Mini Me is making a run for it."

Casey turned around and watched as Tate toddled away in the opposite direction. He was unable to make his feet move, because he had never had her run off from him. The next thing he knew, a lilac-colored woman seemed to have come out from the shadows of a tent and scooped the baby into her arms. Tate squealed when she realized that she had been caught and wasn't going anywhere. After a few seconds had passed, Casey snapped back to reality and made his way over to the woman holding his child. By now, Tate had stopped struggling to get free as she had taken to resting her head on the woman's shoulder.

"How did you catch her so fast?" Casey panted after sprinting the short distance to where the woman stood.

She chuckled, running her fingers through Tate's hair, "You have to be quick with babies. They're sneaky."

Once Casey had gotten a good look at her, his eyes widened dramatically when he figured out who he was talking to, "Hang on, you look really familiar. Where do I know you from?"

"Jefferson. I was the prostitute with the cute bloomers, as you had so rightly pointed out to me."

He blushed at the memory of the night he had spoken to her at the ball. He had found her attractive and wanted desperately to dance with her, but never got the chance, "I don't think you ever told me your name."

"It's Fallon," it was her turn to blush, "Everyone just calls me Faye, though."

Casey looked to the side of her, trying to recall the events of Jefferson. Something seemed odd, "There were two of you women at the time. Your devil of a friend isn't here, is she?"

"Ahem."

The sound of the deep female voice behind him made him cringe. He should have known Faye wouldn't be alone, "Shit."

Ellen glared at Casey with her arms crossed over her chest. She wasn't in the mood for dealing with a man, especially one as uncouth as Casey tended to be. Her eyes shifted from Casey over to Faye, who still held on to the baby girl, "Oh, she's so cute! I wonder who is responsible for such a gorgeous baby."

Clearing his throat, Casey lifted his finger to get the women's attention, "Thank you. That would be me."

The silence that passed between the three of them was awkward. Ellen looked the Irish male up and down as if she was trying to figure out how someone as unruly as Casey was could create an adorable baby. She tried her hardest to keep from laughing, but eventually she couldn't contain it.

"You mean to tell me you actually reproduced?"

Casey looked hurt. He couldn't see why she found that so amusing.

"Ellen!" Faye looked shocked at her friend's behavior, "I can't believe you."

"What?" Ellen looked at her as she regained control over her laughter, "I was joking!"

"That's no excuse for hurting someone's feelings!" Faye shot back.

"Well, if you're gonna be like that, I'm heading back," Ellen headed off in the opposite direction. "I have better things to do, anyways."

"Ellen, wait!" Faye's call fell on deaf ears. She sighed, and then turned to Casey, "Sorry about her. Honestly, I can't take her anywhere!"

"What's her problem?" Casey asked.

"There are times when I wonder that myself," Faye answered. "She's just impossible at times."

Remembering the baby, Casey took a step closer to Faye and held out his arms for him to take Tate, but she turned her head against Faye's neck and clung on to her. He found her behavior odd considering she didn't take to most people, especially strangers. He tried once more to take his daughter from Faye, and this time she screamed her refusal and held on tighter to Faye's shirt. It looked as if he was going to have a time of pulling her away from Faye.

"Tate, why won't you come to Daddy?" Casey stood back with his hands on his hips, staring at the sight of Faye holding Tate close to her and running her fingers through her soft curls like she had before. From the look of it, she was growing attached to the little girl.

Standing nearby, Gabriel and Seamus watched the scene in front of them with smiles on their faces. They knew that Tate was picky when it came to who she would let hold her, and it was usually not women. Seamus could tell that something good would come out of this encounter, he just didn't know what.

"I think Tate has chosen who she wants to be her mama," he whispered to his brother, not wanting Casey to overhear him, "From what I can tell, Miss Faye seems like a sweetheart. Hopefully, for Casey's sake, he'll realize that."

To see if Tate would change her mind, Casey walked back over to the other two men to chat with them while Faye spent some time trying to coax the baby to let go of her. When he decided to go back over, Tate kept her eye on him, unsure of what he was going to do. He watched Faye straighten the giant purple bow on the top of Tate's head. Once more, Casey held out his arms to take the baby, but his daughter let him know that she didn't intend on going anywhere with him when she let out an ear shattering scream.

"Okay! I won't touch you," Casey backed away and threw his hands up in surrender. "Damn, you're just like your mother."

The mention of Tate's mother dashed Faye's hopes of a relationship with the attractive man in front of her; however, she hadn't seen a woman with the men, "Where is her mother?"

Casey shrugged his shoulders, seeming not to care about Tate's mother, "Probably knocked up, knowing her type," seeing the odd look on Faye's face he continued, "We're divorced. Me attorney and I screwed her. That wasn't exactly the threesome she was hoping for. So, that means I'm single… alone… in need of a woman…" _She's still clueless… _

"Who's helping you raise her?"

"It's just me, but I guess I could use some help when it comes to fixing her hair and making her look like a girl."

Faye inspected the baby's hair more closely: a tuft of hair on the top of her head with the rest of her fine hair in soft, natural curls, "You mean you didn't put the bow in her hair? It's adorable."

"I'm not a bow person. Me own mother did that."

Eventually, Gabriel and Seamus wanted to get back to camp in order to brush the horses down before dark. At the rate Casey was going they'd be there all night unless one of them helped him out. Seamus walked over to the woman and easily took Tate from her without any issues, much to Casey's surprise. He stared open-mouthed at his cousin standing near Gabriel, bouncing his daughter on his hip and twirling a lock of her pale green hair around his finger. How was it that she would throw a fit whenever he tried to take her, but she went happily to Seamus?

"How about we head back to camp to let the horses eat?" Gabriel suggested after checking the time on his phone.

_Damn, do we have to leave now? I want to talk more with Faye, _Casey thought as he watched Faye scuff her foot on the ground absently. "Fine. Besides, it's Tate's bedtime," when Casey looked back, Faye was walking off in the opposite direction. Wanting to spend more time with her, he hurried over to her and lightly grabbed onto her arm, "Faye… Do you want to go for a ride with me? I want to hear more about you."

Faye's hazel eyes glimmered with new hope when Casey asked her to go riding with him. She hadn't rode very many horses growing up, but she trusted Casey enough to know that he wouldn't let anything happen to her. In the back of her mind she could hear Ellen nagging her about associating with a man, but she ignored it, "I'd love to. By the way, you never told me _your_ name."

"Casey Dawson," he pointed back behind him with his thumb, "and those two are me cousins, Gabriel and Seamus Dawson. I'm the sexy one out of the group, so don't let them distract you."

She tried to hide a smile, "I don't know; all three of you are pretty handsome."

Ignoring her comment, Casey said, "I'll meet you in your camp in forty-five minutes. I just have to put Tate to bed."

"Sounds great, Casey. I'll be waiting eagerly."

Ellen and Faye sat around a campfire, talking with some of the re-enactors in their camp; however, Faye wasn't listening much to Ellen describe the scene of the Dawson men racing their horses. She was too preoccupied thinking about what her ride with Casey would be like. Secretly, she wished he would kiss her since it had been so long since she had been in a relationship and forgot what it felt like. She was interrupted from her daydream when Ellen nudged her in the side with her elbow.

"Earth to Faye… What, dare I ask, are you thinking about? I know it has nothing to do with your job."

Her friend shook her head to clear it, "I'm sorry, Ellen, but I can't stop thinking about Casey. He's just so charming."

The sound of Ellen sighing in annoyance caught Faye's attention. That wasn't enough to deter her from pursuing Casey's heart. A horse's snort nearby made her look to her left. The sight of a paint gelding trotting over with Casey perched high on his back brought a smile to her face. After stopping behind the group, Casey jumped down from the horse and motioned her over to him. She was unable to move, because her eyes were fixed on his bare upper body and the hard muscles covering it.

_Oh…my…. Is he for real? Now I really want to find out more about him, _"Where's your saddle?" Faye noted that Dionysus didn't have a saddle or reins on him.

"We're not using one. Bareback is more fun," Casey stepped out of the way to let Faye attempt to mount the horse. A few seconds of failed attempts forced him to help her by placing his hand on her bottom and shoving her up, "Don't mind me grabbing your cute butt. It's the best way to get you up there," he ignored Ellen behind him snorting her displeasure.

_You can grab me all you want, sweet thing, _Faye grabbed onto a clump of Dionysus's mane to help pull herself onto his back. After settling herself right behind his withers, Casey easily swung himself up right behind her. "How are you going to guide him?"

"Leg pressure," Casey clicked his tongue at the horse, easing him into a gentle walk away from the camp. He could feel Ellen's glare on him, which made him more determined to be with Faye.

A few minutes later they road up a steep heel and veered off to the left. Out in front of them lay an open field, which gave Casey the idea to show Faye how much of a rush it was when Dionysus ran, but then again he didn't want to traumatize her into never wanting to ride with him again… if anything ever came out of this evening. He carefully pried her fingers loose from the horse's mane and held her hands in his; it was only a matter of time before she realized that the only thing keeping her on Dionysus was her legs and Casey's body pressed against her. He chuckled when Faye squealed in fright as soon as Dionysus started to gallop, nearing his top speed.

Faye felt extremely nervous as she felt the horse's movement beneath her. She was very tense as a result. Noticing this, Casey said softly, "Relax. I won't let you fall," he wrapped his arm securely around her waist to emphasize his words and relaxed, hoping that she would too, eventually.

The lilac-colored woman blushed at the sensation of him holding her close. She couldn't help but notice how at ease he felt. Slowly, she let herself relax. _I suppose he knows what he's doing…_

"Good," Casey smiled as he felt her relax. "See, it isn't so bad."

Faye had to agree with him, "You're right, once you get over the initial worry."

Casey chuckled, "As long as you're all right, I'm happy."

They fell into silence as they just enjoyed the evening peace. Casey, unable to help himself, planted a kiss on her shoulder blade, but Faye didn't mind that in the least. _He can be quite the romantic if he wants to be. I like that. And I don't care what Ellen says, I'm gonna take my chances. _

At dusk when most of the re-enactors had returned to their camps for the night, Casey and Faye were riding through some of the dense woods surrounding one of the camps on top of the hill to the southwest of the cavalry campsite. They admired the thousands of twinkling yellow lights in the trees from the fireflies that had come out to attract others. It looked like a swarm of cameras flashing as if they were capturing the moment of Casey and Faye being alone together. After a minute or so the trees opened up to reveal a camp full of what looked to be another cavalry unit, and once they got a closer look they realized it to be the Yankee cavalry. Not wanting to draw too much attention, Casey led Dionysus at a slow, lumbering walk through the middle of the camp in the direction of his own camp. Both he and Faye could feel the eyes of the Yankees on them as they passed by and could hear them make comments, some of them being rude. They weren't even in uniform and somehow they knew they were Confederate. A few brave cavalrymen walked over to where they were riding and scowled. The glares and remarks of the men were starting to make Faye uncomfortable, and she leaned back against Casey for protection.

"Just ignore them, Faye," Casey said close to her ear, and wrapped his arm around her waist, "Some of these people must take this a little too seriously."

Faye glanced off to her left and watched as a few of the men untied their horses after putting their tack on them. A bad feeling arose in her stomach at the thought of what they might do, "Casey… They're getting their horses. You don't think they're going to run us off, do you?"

"Surely not. I mean, the reenactment hasn't even started."

A Union Sergeant Major called after them after mounting onto his horse, "Are you two just stupid?"

The more they ignored the Yankees, the angrier they made them. The only thing they wanted was to get back to camp without causing any trouble, and so far that was proving to be difficult. The next time Faye looked behind her, more than half of the Union cavalry was trotting behind them. It appeared they wouldn't make it back to camp without a confrontation. Another glance behind her revealed that they had picked up their speed, making her heart pound in her chest with unease. Casey didn't have to look behind him to know that they were after them.

"Damn Yankees, always ruining everything!" He kicked Dionysus into a gallop through the rest of the camp. If they wanted them out of their camp then he'd make them work for it.

Dionysus carried them through the clearing of the campsite until they had left it. Thinking they had stopped after running them off, Casey looked behind him to see where the opposing cavalry was and rolled his eyes when he saw that they were still charging after them. Apparently they were going to get their point across one way or another.

"You've got to be kidding me!" An idea popped into his head, and he pulled Dionysus into a grove of trees when they rounded a bend. "It looks like these idiots want to play, well then, let's play. I'm going to drop you off at me camp so you don't get hurt."

Faye turned halfway around to look at him, "What are you going to do?"

"Simple. Outrun them and tire their horses out."

Back at the Confederate cavalry camp, Gabriel was walking along the road with Kate and Seamus after visiting with some of the other units when they saw Ellen headed their direction. She stopped in front of them to get their attention, and Seamus noted a worried look on her features. It was odd for her to deliberately get the men's attention, which meant something was amiss.

"What's wrong, Ellen?" Seamus immediately questioned as he knew she felt the most willing to open up to him.

"Have you seen Faye? I would have thought she'd be back by now," she directed her question to him and paid no mind to the other two standing beside Seamus.

He shook his head, "The last I knew they were still out riding. I would assume they would be on their way back soon…"

A commotion in the distance caught their attention. All three of them ran over to the road and looked off to the west. The form of Dionysus running down the hill at a break neck speed made them wonder what had happened. They got their answer a few seconds later when they saw a large troop of Yankee cavalry hot on their heels. It was evident they had done something to anger them to the point of chasing after them.

Gabriel rolled his eyes and sighed heavily at the sight of his cousin and Faye racing towards them, "What could he have possibly done this time?"

"How do you know it was Casey that did something?" Kate questioned rather dumbly.

The other three turned to look at her, and Seamus responded, "Have you not learned by now that he causes most of the predicaments he gets himself into?"

Dionysus skidded to a stop in front of the small crowd that had gathered to watch the chase. He stopped long enough for Faye to jump down to safety, and watched as she hurried over to stand beside Ellen. Casey yelled before taking off again, "The Yankees are coming! The Yankees are coming!"

"No shit! We can see that," it was Kate's turn to speak.

All of them watched as Casey kicked Dionysus into a run with the Union troopers closing the gap, but he still had several horse lengths between them. The two of them darted off in the direction of the field where the men had raced earlier that evening, because Casey knew if they could get to that open area he'd have a better chance of losing them even though he already knew none of them would be able to keep up once he got Dionysus up to his full speed. Before getting to the field he decided to have some fun with them for a bit, and guided the paint horse around the side of a large barn and down a dirt road that ran in front of a stone house surrounded by trees. The objective was to split the troopers up and to hopefully cause a giant mess. When the Union cavalrymen saw Casey take a sharp turn around the house, two small groups went in opposite directions around the house to cut him off, but ended up colliding with each other on the backside, landing two of the men on the ground between their horses. Casey, on the other hand, sat atop Dionysus a few yards away and laughed at the scene until a Corporal showed up from around the front of the house and started after Casey.

_Are these guys ever going to give up? _Casey cut across the dirt road and galloped along the low stone wall at the bottom of the steep hill to the south of the barn. Just as the Corporal neared the gelding's hindquarters, Casey hit the brakes, causing the trooper to fly past him before realizing that he no longer had the two in his sight. "That was too easy. What else can you throw at me?"

He got his answer when the rest of the Union cavalry showed up from the tree line behind him. It was time to test their endurance, so he kicked his horse into a gallop and turned him toward an opening in a fence beside the road. Once he was out in the open, he held Dionysus back to let the men get close to him. It looked as if they would catch him, but when the horse felt his rider's legs squeeze against his sides, he flew forward and put a great deal of distance between him and the Union horses. They were gone!

At the Confederate cavalry camp, Faye stared with a gaping mouth at the scene unfolding in front of her. At first she thought Casey would be caught seeing as the Union men had made it to his horse's flanks, "Oh! Will they catch him? What will they do to him if they catch him?"

"Don't worry, Faye," Gabriel laid a hand on her forearm to reassure her. "There's not a snowball's chance in Hell that they'll catch him."

Seamus whooped with joy when he saw his cousin and Dionysus pull away from the troopers on his way to who knew where, "Let him run!"

After all of the events that had already taken place the first day of being in Gettysburg, it was a good indication of what the rest of the event would be like. To Gabriel, he was just happy to be sharing the moments with Kate and their daughter. He didn't care if he had to chase a thousand Yankees away from Casey, or burned up in the scorching Pennsylvania heat. He would enjoy every moment soaking up the history of the location and teaching his wife everything he knew about Gettysburg. There wouldn't be another reenactment this big, at least not in his lifetime. A nudge in his side pulled him out of his thoughts, and he turned to see Kate smiling at him.

"I'm going to go feed Shannon and put her to bed before I turn in for the night. I want to be wide awake for tomorrow," she sauntered off in the direction of their tent, but not before throwing a wink over her shoulder at him. "Join me?"

With another look behind him, Gabriel noticed Casey and Dionysus trotting up through the parking lot where the cannon trailers were parked. The Yankees were nowhere in sight, which meant he had lost them or they had given up on trying to catch him. "Always, Kate. I'll always join you."

**Author's Note: **Gaelic words & meanings from this chapter... a stóirín= My little darling (pronounce it like _ah store-een_)


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40**

"So, where are we going to start this tour?" Kate turned her map of the battlefield right side up while she attempted to find their location on the map.

Gabriel was following behind Rob's truck as they drove down Emmitsburg Road to the north side of town. They had wanted to go around the battlefield to visit the most important places, and that required them to go through the town. On the northern side of Gettysburg, the trucks turned left onto a street and drove west for a ways. That was when Gabriel pointed out of the passenger window at a brown stone and white clapboard two-story house. It looked a little odd with the more modern buildings around it.

"That house was General Lee's headquarters during the battle," he followed his father's truck when he turned onto another road. "As for your question, we're starting where the battle began. First we're going to stop at a monument on Oak Hill."

A few minutes later, they parked the trucks on the side of the road, and the family, along with Sean and Ava, walked up the path to a tall monument that had a flame at the top of it with statues around the base. Off to the side of the monument were a couple of cannons. Kate gazed at the large flame at the top of the tower as it flickered in the breeze, but never went out. When she dropped her gaze, she saw Gabriel taking a picture of a phrase etched into the limestone and decided to join him. Smiling, he slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her close as if to share the moment with her.

"The Eternal Peace Light Memorial," Gabriel said to no one in particular, "It was dedicated on the seventy-fifth anniversary of the battle."

"It's beautiful. Does the flame ever go out?" Kate pondered the flame and why it kept the same brightness despite the wind.

He shook his head, "No. It's an ever-burning flame. On perfect weather days some have reported to have seen it twenty miles away."

The others milled about by the base of the monument, some reading the plaques nearby explaining what had happened at that location during the battle. Rob scanned the landscape until he saw a thick line of trees across the way to the southwest of their location. He could see a white equestrian monument standing in front of the trees. Those woods were called Reynold's Woods for the Union Major General who had been killed there shortly after the battle began. The statue represented the famous general and had been erected in his honor.

_I don't think they'll ever know where that bullet came from, _he mused; it remained a mystery as to who fired the fatal shot that ended the General John Reynolds's life. Many speculated that it was a Confederate sharpshooter, but others thought that it might have been a Union soldier.

Everyone piled back into the trucks a few minutes later and continued their tour down Confederate Avenue. To their left they passed by the Lutheran Theological Seminary where Major General John Buford, standing in the blue-domed cupola atop the seminary, surveyed the damage wreaked by his men.

Various types of cannons lined Confederate Avenue, facing out toward Cemetery Ridge three quarters of a mile away. The line marked the location of Colonel Edward Porter Alexander's massive artillery bombardment on the Union center at the Copse of Trees. In front of the cannons, the fields of Pickett's Charge, or more formally known as Pickett-Pettigrew-Trimble Charge, stretched out to Emmitsburg Road with regiment flank markers dotting the fields. Further up the road the group passed a number of monuments dedicated to the units that fought on those grounds, but when they reached Spangler's Woods, Gabriel insisted that they stop. Everyone piled out of the trucks and walked up the path to a massive equestrian statue with General Robert E. Lee perched on his horse, Traveller.

"Okay, so what's this monument, Gabriel?" Moira stared up at the top of the monument with her hand shielding her eyes from the sun's glare.

Gabriel had to pull himself away from studying the statues at the base, "This is the Virginia State Memorial. It shows Lee looking toward his objective… way the hell over there. That little clump of trees is where he wanted his men to march to," he pointed to the east where a group of people could be seen walking around. From where they stood, the people looked like colorful dots.

Seeing Casey bent over inspecting one of the bronze statues, Kate cocked an eyebrow and replied, "What are you gawking at, Casey?"

"We've seen a lot of monuments so far, and I've noticed something odd about them," Casey stood up, waving his hand at the statues, "Why aren't there any bullet holes in them? This is a battlefield, for crying out loud!"

The family stared at him perplexed, and Gabriel fought the urge to shake some sense into Casey. If there was such a thing as a stupid question, his cousin had just asked one. Didn't he understand the concept of what a monument was? Obviously not. Gabriel was in too much shock to move from his spot. "Seriously? I can't believe you just asked that," he just shook his head.

Seamus walked over to Casey and placed his hand on his shoulder, "Seeing as how Ellen killed off your last brain cell when she smeared your face in the side of that flower pot, it's understandable why you asked such an absurd question, so let's play a game… How many stupid questions you ask while we're going around the battlefield. You're already at one."

The next stop on the tour was the massive boulder strewn landscape of Devil's Den across the road from the slopes of Little Round Top and Big Round Top. Many vehicles were parked in a small parking lot in front of the structure, but Gabriel found a spot beside a motorcycle. Casey immediately walked over to the boulders with Tate on his hip to inspect them. He had never seen such an interesting rock formation before; the boulders were piled on top of each other like they had just been thrown down randomly. Some of the boulders formed large crevices between them that a person could walk into. Gabriel, on the other hand, was on a mission to find a particular location at Devil's Den where a famous period photograph was taken of a dead Confederate soldier.

Kate took the time to take pictures with the other women and Seamus as the men read the plaques near the boulders. The last time she had seen Gabriel, he had disappeared on the backside of Devil's Den in search of a notch in the rocks. At the moment, she sat atop one of the bigger boulders with Shannon on her lap as Seamus used her phone to take a picture of them. Looking around, Kate could see many tourists walking around on top of the rock structure and around the base just as her family was doing. The sound of Gabriel's excited yell caught their attention a few minutes later, making them run over to find him at the back of the structure already snapping pictures of a low stone wall between two of the large boulders. In front of the wall stood a plaque showing the staged photo of the sniper taken by Alexander Gardner.

"I found it, Kate!" Gabriel pulled his wife close to show her the sniper's nest, "Can you believe I found it?"

Kate rolled her eyes in exasperation. _Should have just looked for the plaque, you weirdo, _"I'm happy for you, honey. Why don't you take Shannon and squat down by the wall so I can get your picture?"

While Kate and Gabriel were occupied with the pictures, Casey and Seamus took the time to walk around the front of Devil's Den and talk about Casey's experience with Faye the previous evening. From the way the younger man talked, he had Faye burned into his mind. Just as they were getting ready to walk back to the trucks, a pearl white Nissan Titan whipped into an empty parking spot after almost running the Dawson men over. Seamus focused on keeping his cousin from stomping over to the white truck and yanking the door open to give the driver a piece of his mind. However, as soon as the door opened, Casey didn't feel so tough, anymore.

"You'd think someone would have enough sense to not walk down the road when cars are driving by," Ellen remarked, but when she saw that Casey was the one she nearly hit, a scowl crossed her face, "Although, you I should have hit."

Casey sighed heavily, "Oh, that's cold. What did I ever do to you?!"

"Leave it be, Casey… Before she snaps your neck like a chicken," Seamus wasn't really paying attention to Casey; he was too busy trying to figure out what was going on with the third occupant of Ellen's truck; the man wore a purple plaid button up shirt with bright purple Converse sneakers to match. His pants were a different story; skin tight jeans adorned with chains and rhinestones. He had spiked medium brown hair with violet tips draped over his eyes. His appearance reminded Seamus of a very feminine man… That is, until he spoke.

"Like, oh my goodness. I can't believe how absolutely gorgeous this place is," he started toward Devil's Den, motioning for Ellen and Faye to follow. "Ladies, let's go. Tobi wants to take some group selfies!"

_Nope, he's definitely gay_. Seamus stared awkwardly as the man walked by, swinging his hips as he went. He had almost wanted to disappear, but that was when the man caught sight of Casey standing near one of the plaques. _Oh, this is gonna be good…_

"How you doin'? Like, what shampoo do you use, because it smells so sexy," the man leaned closer to Casey to get another whiff of his hair.

Even though the man was being friendly, Casey wasn't too thrilled about having him that close. His eyes darted back and forth as if he didn't have a clue what was going on, "Why in the hell is there a man smelling me?! It's called personal space, dude!"

The entire time Ellen's friend was checking Casey out, Ellen took the moment to get her phone out in order to take pictures with Faye. Seamus watched the two of them for a while, admiring how happy she was when she wasn't out to kill his cousin. In fact, he was growing even more attracted to her and wanted to chat with her seeing as how she didn't try to run from him. He walked over to the women and tapped Ellen on the shoulder to get her attention.

"Would you like me to take a picture of you two?"

Ellen seemed genuinely touched by his offer. How could she possibly turn him down? "Well, thank you. That would be awesome since I'm terrible at picture-taking."

After giving Seamus her phone, Ellen and Faye stood against one of the boulders with their arms around each other. Seamus was just about to snap the picture when Casey ran in front of the two women with their friend right behind him.

"I like boobs, not balls!" Casey shrieked in desperation.

The group taking the pictures in front of the boulders watched as the women's friend chased after Casey around the backside of Devil's Den and over the top of it. Finally, not wanting to traumatize her hopeful boyfriend, Faye reached out to grab her friend by one of the belt loops on his jeans, allowing Casey to find safety behind Moira and Riley, who had just walked up with Tate. The young man's face fell when Faye explained to him that Casey wasn't interested in a relationship with him.

"Everyone, this is our awesome friend, Tobi. He works as a nurse in the Senior Care section at the hospital Ellen and I work at," Faye turned to address Casey, who kept his eyes trained on Tobi in case he needed to make a run for it. "Sorry, Casey. He's very flamboyant and open about his feelings."

Casey rolled his eyes. _I can see that, _"Just as long as he walks in front of me and not behind me, I'll be okay with him."

A little while later, Faye had gone looking for Ellen after the scarlet-colored woman had disappeared from her when the women had gone to check out the top side of Devil's Den with Tobi and Kate. As Faye passed by a deep crevice at the front of the structure, she let out a startled squeal when she was pulled into the crevice, but a hand clamped over her mouth to keep her quiet. Another hand held onto her arm to keep her in place. The sound of Casey's Irish accent in her ear caused her to relax; however, she wasn't prepared for what happened in the following moments. Casey pushed her against one of the stone walls, his hips pinning her there. Before she could say anything, he forced her lips apart with his own and kissed her hungrily. It appeared as if her wish had come true.

Unbeknownst to the two in the crevice, Ellen, Seamus and Tobi had found a nice seat on the boulders and couldn't resist looking down at Casey and Faye below them. Watching Faye kiss a man irritated her to no end considering Faye never heeded her warnings that men couldn't be trusted. Looking back down in the crevice, she noticed Casey become sneaky and put his hands on Faye's bottom. Apparently, the other two saw the move, too, because all three of them leaned over further to get a better view. When they did so, they knocked their heads together, creating an audible thump.

"Ow! Watch it!" Ellen pushed Seamus out of the way in irritation.

Seamus rubbed the side of his head where he had made contact with Ellen's, "You watch it!"

"Now, Ellen, you know Tobi doesn't like you like that," Tobi sat back with his arms folded over his chest. He appeared to be fine.

"Shut up, Tobi!" Ellen and Seamus said together.

The commotion above them caused Faye and Casey to break apart and look up. A scowl crossed Casey's features at the sight of the other three peering down at them. Was it too much to ask for a little privacy? Casey considered chasing after them, but decided that it wasn't worth the hassle or the possibility of getting beat up by Ellen. The two of them exited the crevice to meet up with the others by the parking lot, both of them disappointed that they couldn't have spent more time alone with each other.

Out in front of Devil's Den, Gabriel was staring up at the sky, pondering the fluffy clouds above them. Earlier that morning he had learned that there was a small chance of rain, but not enough to worry about. Kate had taken Shannon to their truck to change her diaper, so she was already waiting for the rest of them to get in their trucks in order to go explore Little Round Top across the road. Once everyone had met up, they were in the middle of discussing where they would go on Little Round Top when an all too familiar sound was heard above them.

A low rumble caught Seamus's attention. He looked up to the sky, concerned. The previously fluffy clouds had turned a gray color and looked heavy with rain, "That sounded like thunder."

"Oh I hope it doesn't start raining now," Faye said. As soon as the words were out, however, they found themselves caught in a sudden downpour. The rain beat down on them in a blinding sheet before they had time to find cover.

"That was hardly a fair warning!" Ellen shook her head in disbelief as Casey made a break for the nearest tree several yards away.

Gabriel called after him, trying his hardest not to laugh, "You know Casey; you'd only look worse if you get fried alive by the lighting!"

"I don't care," Casey responded while holding his arms over his head in an attempt to shield his head from the rain, "I'm getting outta this rain."

Standing out in the open with her arms crossed over her chest and getting soaked by the stinging rain, Ellen said over the downpour, "We agree on something for once," and then did a double-take, "I can't believe I just said that."

A few moments later, the rain stopped just as abruptly as it came. The clouds moved across the sky, allowing the sun to shine brightly once again to help dry the grass. It was a strange phenomenon that made everyone look around at the sky to figure out if it was just a hoax and more rain was on its way or if it was truly over with. Sure enough, there weren't any clouds headed their way.

"Well, that's that," Mae said, already wringing her wet hair out with her hands, "Could've been worse."

"The bad news is, our hair is shot," Casey grumbled when he rejoined the group. Despite his efforts to keep himself from getting wet, his hair was plastered to his head and neck. "I'm heading back to the truck to get me mousse."

"The feel of wet clothes isn't so comfortable, either," Seamus sighed as he watched his cousin leave. "I guess I'll be headed back too. At least Tutu wasn't with me – she'd catch her death! Not to mention it would ruin her clothes…"

A wicked idea popped into Ellen's head after hearing Casey mention that he was worried about his hair, and she ran over to Gabriel's truck to get Kate's attention. Kate was all too happy that she hadn't been caught in the rain shower and listened intently to Ellen as she explained that she wanted to mess with the guys. The two women hurriedly dug through the men's bags in the back seats of the trucks and pulled out several tubes. After confirming that they were their hair products, Kate and Ellen shoved the tubes down the front of their shirts and concealed them between their breasts so that the men would never find them. Both of them scurried back to sit on the hood of Gabriel's truck with Faye and Ava joining them to watch the scramble begin. Casey was the first one to the truck and flung the door open so that he could get into his bag. Seamus began his search a few seconds later in Rob's truck, but looked over to see Casey getting frustrated that he couldn't find his mousse. Oddly enough, he couldn't find his own mousse when he could have sworn that he had thrown it in his backpack. Gabriel was leaning across the center console of his truck digging around through the glove box and swore when he couldn't find his jar of frizz tamer, eliciting some colorful words. The entire time the men were throwing their belongings to the ground in search of their hair products, Kate and Ellen giggled like little girls, throwing glances back to see the men's expressions. Ellen had to admit; she had no idea what she was getting into when she suggested that they swipe the boys' hair products after getting stuck in the rain earlier. She had not a damn clue. But that didn't mean that she regretted it. Not at all.

After watching the boys go through a rather fruitless attempt to find their lost belongings – Casey freaking out more with every passing second, since he didn't find it worth going out without his hair being perfect – Seamus finally gave up. "That's it guys, we can't find them. Guess we have to do without 'em."

"What?" Casey looked horrified; he couldn't allow himself to have one strand of hair out of place.

"You heard me, Casey."

Gabriel just nodded, slamming the driver's side door shut, "Yeah, and we might as well get dressed in dry clothes while we're at it."

What happened next caught Ellen by total surprise. After hearing Gabriel's suggestion, Seamus suddenly seemed to realize how uncomfortable his wet clothes were. Ellen watched as he reached down and started to pull his shirt up. Inch by agonizing inch his skin was revealed, finishing off with a smooth, marbled finish, glistening in the light as his drenched shirt had soaked through to his skin. And to unnerve Ellen even more, she noticed how perfectly his jeans clung to him, and the smooth arch of his hipbones. Then, as if to torment her further, he reached back to pull his hair free, giving his head a light shake to knock his hair loose from the form it had been held in. The dark green locks now reached his mid-back in waves from the braids it had been in.

For the first time, Ellen knew what Faye saw in men. If there was such a thing as sweet torture, Seamus Dawson was the very essence of the word. He seemed more angel than man at this moment, what with the angle in which the sunlight hit his perfect chest. She couldn't help but marvel at the sight. _My God, there should be an age restriction on him! He can't possibly be of this world!_

"Ellen, you're staring," Faye chuckled. She had noticed her best friend staring longingly at Gabriel's brother like he was a piece of Hershey's chocolate. _I knew she would find someone, eventually._

Brought back to reality by Faye's voice, Ellen felt her face go red. At least it wasn't noticeable under her scarlet fur. She felt shaky. Quickly diverting her eyes from Seamus, she hastily said, "I need some time to think," and then left to go change her wet clothes. She would return once she got her heart to slow down and was dressed in dry clothes.

Seeing Seamus in such a light threw Ellen off balance. She didn't know how to react to how obviously she'd been attracted to him moments before. As she walked away, she couldn't push the image of his perfection out of her mind. What on earth was wrong with her? Hadn't she always said that she was better off without a man? Why did she doubt that, now? She was better off, wasn't she? Right? All these questions were beginning to confuse her. But was that truly such a bad thing?

Seamus was walking back to Rob's silver truck after talking with a now calm Casey and Gabriel when he passed Ellen's truck. To his surprise, he saw her standing on the far side of the truck just as she was pulling her soaked shirt over her head, since she was still drenched from the sudden downpour from a few minutes earlier. As soon as she pulled her shirt over her head, he caught sight of her side and back, as she was turned away from him. His eyes widened in disbelief, and he felt himself blush; Ellen had a tattoo of angel wings on her lower back. A glint caught his eye, and Seamus noticed the two iridescent dermal piercings in the dimples of her lower back where the wings came together. _Wow, never knew she was the type._

After gaping a few more minutes at Ellen finally pulling on her clean, dryer shirt, Seamus wanted to let her know that he was there so as not to make her think he was being a peeping tom. He cleared his throat to alert her of his presence.

Ellen jumped and turned around to see him standing at the end of the truck bed, "What are you doing here?!"

"I was passing by," Seamus said innocently. "Couldn't you change in your truck?"

Ellen blushed at this, and then narrowed her eyes, "What's it to you?"

"Nothing," Seamus replied quickly, "Just that there are people who'd take advantage of such a situation."

An awkward pause. They stood contemplating each other for a while. Seamus thought about how jumpy she was around men. "I wonder why."

"Huh?" Ellen looked confused.

"Sorry, I was thinking aloud," Seamus replied, "I was just wondering why you get so jumpy around men."

"None of your business," Ellen snapped and shoved her shirt down to cover up her tattoo after realizing that he must have seen it from the way he looked at her.

Seamus held his hands up in defense, "Okay, okay, it was just a thought."

"It was something you had no business of thinking about," Ellen sighed and slammed her truck door shut, "I have my reasons."

Another silence break.

"I just wanted to see if you wanted to talk about it," Seamus said in a gentle tone, "I'm always here to listen, Ellie."

Ellen's eyes widened, "What did you just call me?"

Seamus rethought the sentence, and went red again. _Did I really just call her that? _ "Sorry. It just slipped out –."

"No, I liked it," Ellen confessed; she, too, started to blush at the thought of Seamus calling her what she considered a pet name. It also didn't help the fact that she was growing rather fond of the man in front of her despite hating men. _Talk about not practicing what you preach, Ellen._ "No one has given me a nickname before."

Seamus sighed in relief. He hadn't wanted to stress the moment more, "It suits you."

"Thank you," Ellen gave him a hint of a smile.

"So, I'll see you later then?"

"Yeah, you will," Ellen watched him go, and then mentally kicked herself. For a few moments she had been warming up to him. Hadn't she learned that men weren't worth her time? She didn't want to be hurt again, and now she had been asking for it. _Don't go soft, Ellen. They all seem nice when you first meet them. He's not with the time._

Happy once again in dry clothes, everyone climbed into the four trucks and drove up the road and parked in the small parking lot at the base of Little Round Top where all of them unloaded. Rob, Mae, Riley and Moira headed off to check out the castle-like monument on one of the slopes of the hill while the others contemplated scaling the steep path to the peak. Gabriel managed to persuade them to go simply because he wanted to show them the 20th Maine monument and the still-existing stone wall that was built by the Union soldiers when they were charged by the Alabamians. He and Kate took the lead, Kate carrying Shannon, with Sean and Ava a few feet behind them. Casey had gotten Tate's cloth carrier out of the truck so that he could carry her like a backpack instead of suffering from hip pain; after receiving a round of teasing from Seamus, he took off at a run to catch up with Gabriel.

Seamus was getting ready to make the climb, as well, when he saw Ellen pondering the walkway with a perturbed look on her face, "Are you three coming, Ellen?"

"Yeah, but that steep of a grade will kill my knees," she had a crazy idea pop into her head, and ran after Seamus. "Can I hitch a ride on your back? Tobi's a feather ass and won't be able to support me. Faye's the same way; you should have seen her try to move a four hundred pound woman when she collapsed in the ER lobby. It wasn't pretty."

"So, you want to blow _my_ knees out, is what you're saying?" He threw her idea around for a bit, and then caved, "Alright, get on… but try not to pull my pants down. I don't feel like exposing my backside to the world."

_Since you mentioned it, I just might do that; I wouldn't mind checking that caboose out, _"I'm not that heavy!" Ellen jumped onto Seamus's back, wrapping her arms around his neck once he had braced himself for the impact.

Surprisingly enough, Seamus bypassed a huffing and puffing Casey halfway up the asphalt path. He and Ellen started to laugh at his predicament, taking note of his frazzled appearance; the added weight of his daughter just made his climb more difficult.

"Hey, Casey… Wanna switch passengers?" Seamus playfully poked his cousin in the side with his elbow.

Not at all amused by Seamus's attempt at a joke, his eyebrows furrowed, "Ha ha ha. Very funny. I'll stick with me offspring."

The scenery around them was absolutely beautiful, and the farther up the hill, the thicker the canopy of trees got; barely any sunlight shown through the leaves, leaving the earth in shadow. Small droplets of rain water dripped down from above, leaving wet spots on their clothes. The path widened toward the backside of Little Round Top where Gabriel, Kate, Sean and Ava were reading a gray marble rectangular monument with a pyramid-shaped top. It was the monument dedicated to the 20th Maine's location during the battle where they had to stand their ground as the flank of the Union army.

Ellen slid off of Seamus's back before going over to investigate the stone wall being swallowed up by the flora. Seamus went over to listen to his brother's explanation of what had happened where all of them stood. It was amazing to learn how a colonel ordered a bayonet charge out of desperation to protect the flank when his men had run completely out of ammunition. After experiencing the walk up to the 20th Maine's location, it was a wonder how they fared the charge down the slopes of Little Round Top, chasing the Alabamians away in defense.

"Why didn't they just use the bloody sidewalk? It would have been a hell of a lot easier than running down on slick leaves and Lord knows what else," Casey raised the question after sitting down to rest on the wall behind the monument with Tate still strapped to his back. "I mean, I just about had a heart attack coming up that damn thing, but there's no way I'd be running straight up and down that hill."

The group stood in their spots and stared at Casey for several awkward moments. Eventually, Ellen broke the silence when she called back over her shoulder, "Did he really just ask that?!"

"Stupid question number two," Seamus held up two fingers to indicate that he was still keeping track of the insane questions Casey asked. They hadn't even made it to where the most important events occurred and already Casey was on a roll.

Gabriel kept his temper in check and replied, "Casey, the path was built well after the battle was over so that people like us wouldn't kill ourselves trying to walk up here. Try to imagine what it would have been like without the nice walkway."

While the others were busy talking about Casey's ridiculous question and without anyone seeing her leave, Ellen disappeared to go explore the rest of Little Round Top on her own, but mainly so that she could sort out her emotions that were going wild in her mind. She knew that the rest of them would eventually wind up where she had intended to go, and that meant Seamus, too. Winding her way back down the path, Ellen found herself walking toward the monuments Gabriel's parents had gone to look at.

By the time Kate and Gabriel caught up with Mae and Rob, the older family members were ready to keep moving on with the tour even though the younger members had just arrived. Gabriel took his daughter from Kate, allowing his wife some free time to chat with Seamus, who appeared to be looking for something or someone by the way his eyes wandered over the rocky slope of the hill. She walked up beside him and rested her hand lightly on his arm to get his attention.

"What's got you sidetracked, Shay?" Kate smiled up at him, hoping he'd want to talk with her.

At first, Seamus didn't feel like talking, he just wanted to find where Ellen had run off to since she had left her friends behind when they were up at the 20th Maine monument. The longer Kate stood there waiting for an answer, the more he wanted to open up to her about how he felt towards Ellen. _This is something I can't talk about with Gabriel… and especially not Casey. It needs to be with someone who knows how women work and the language they speak, _"Kate, I'm looking for Ellen. Did you see where she went?"

"No, I didn't. The last time I saw her she was taking pictures of the stone wall when we were up there," Kate jabbed her thumb back behind her. "Why are you so interested in her?"

"I just feel a connection to her, Kate. I want to find out what makes her tick around men."

Kate tried to hide a giggle, "Are you sure that it's not just Casey? I know there are times I want to punch him in the throat."

_I'd like to see that when you do, _"Oh, I'm positive that it's around all men, except for Tobi."

Getting back on track, the two of them walked around near the statue of G.K. Warren overlooking the battlefield from its location atop one of the large boulders. Seamus kept his eyes open for Ellen in case she happened to be anywhere close by. He was just about to go back to the top where the others were when Kate nudged him in the side and pointed down the slope. Ellen sat on a boulder a little ways down with her legs crossed and her right arm moving slightly. She moved her gaze from the portion of the battlefield out in front of Little Round Top, in the direction of the peach orchard and the Rose Farm, and then back down to her lap. In the distance, the three cupolas of the Codori farm were barely visible near Emmitsburg Road. On Ellen's lap was a pad of paper, and she was bent over it as she drew what appeared to be the landscape around her. It was hard to tell exactly what she was drawing, because she was too far away from Kate and Seamus for them to see.

"Go talk to her, Shay. See if she and her friends would like to join us for the rest of Gabe's fantastic tour," Kate said sarcastically and carefully pushed on Seamus's back to get him moving. She knew for a fact that he wasn't one to be shy around women; not after the Jefferson ball when he slung Ellen over his shoulder and carried her out to the dance floor.

_Time to get Miss Fussy Pants to talk_. Seamus left Kate standing by the sign indicating that they were on Little Round Top, and picked his way down the rocky slope until he stood behind Ellen. He watched her draw for a few moments, and once she picked her pencil up from the paper, he spoke, "It's beautiful out here, isn't it? Who would have ever thought that it would have been a place of bloodshed?"

His voice caused Ellen to jump and turn around to see Seamus standing behind her on a boulder, an intoxicating smile on his face, "Are you stalking me, now?"

"No. I just saw you sitting down here by yourself and wondered if you wanted any company."

"I like to be alone sometimes to think," she went back to her drawing, not even wanting to look at him for fear he would find her weakness, "It's good to get away from everyone for a while."

Not wanting to intrude on her privacy, Seamus started to turn away to rejoin the others, "I'll leave you be, then."

"Wait!" Ellen quickly threw her drawing pad down on the ground, not wanting him to leave her, "I don't mind if you stay, Seamus."

He tried to hide the smile that appeared on his face; finally, a breakthrough in Ellen's standoffish ways. In all actuality, he never thought he would get her to let him be near to her, "So… this place is pretty amazing. I found the period buildings in town beautiful," he found a seat beside Ellen and stared out toward Seminary Ridge.

"They are, but I'm waiting to see the High-Water Mark over there on Cemetery Ridge. Can you believe those are the actual trees from the battle?"

Seamus seemed genuinely surprised by her remark. Being from Dublin, Ireland he didn't know much about the history of the United States. _Wow, not only is she pretty, she's smart_, "Really? I had no idea."

"What do you mean? Didn't you study American History in high school?" Ellen cocked an eyebrow in questioning.

"I've lived in Ireland for most of my life. Only within the last couple of months have I lived in Texas."

Ellen's eyes widened in realization, and she pointed her finger at him in excitement, "That explains your accent! Damn, it's hot!" She immediately covered her mouth with her hand, trying her hardest to not let her blush show through her scarlet fur, "I can't believe I just said that. The Pennsylvania heat must be getting to me."

Casey chose that moment to save Ellen from more humiliation by walking in front of them and holding his phone in the air two-handed like Rafiki holding up baby Simba. If the opening theme of _The Lion King _had started playing at that moment, the situation would have been perfect. Totally forgetting about her embarrassing comment, Ellen couldn't help but laugh at Casey's pose.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

Disgruntled, Casey shoved his phone back into his jeans pocket, "I was trying to get service, but me phone is a piece of crap."

The sound of Gabriel's voice calling for them to hurry up pulled them away from Casey's display. From the look of it, the group was moving on to a new location, and if they didn't hurry, they'd be left behind. Seamus offered his hand to Ellen to help her to her feet, and afterwards, they jogged up the slope to meet the others; however, Casey decided to race Ellen. Bad mistake; he wasn't prepared for when she reached out and shoved him into a tree.

"Obviously you haven't learned by now," Ellen rolled her eyes at Casey when she looked back to see him clawing his way up the tree trunk to a standing position.

Once at their respective vehicles, all of them drove down Sedgwick Avenue to the point where it ran into Hancock Avenue so that they could go to the place where Gabriel couldn't wait to see: the Copse of Trees on Cemetery Ridge. Along the way they passed by the massive white Pennsylvania monument where they could see tourists walking around on the balcony encircling the top portion of the monument. A little ways past the Pennsylvania monument, Gabriel parked his truck alongside the road near the monument dedicated to General George Meade. He didn't even bother waiting for his passengers to get out of the truck before he practically ran over to the bronze monument in front of the Copse of Trees. The monument was shaped like an open book and was covered in writing. It symbolized the farthest advance of the Confederate army even though a Mississippi group had made it a little further North of that location.

_What I wouldn't give to be able to touch one of those trees. _As soon as he finished reading the monument, Gabriel stared up at the bright green clump of trees surrounded by a wrought iron fence to keep tourists from destroying them.

"Wow, I can't believe these are the actual trees that witnessed the battle," Kate stopped beside Gabriel with Shannon on her hip. "I don't think I'll be able to pull you away from here no matter how much I try."

"No, you will. Just give me a little time to-," he was distracted when his eyes fell on the light gray marble monument a short walk to their right, "Kate, follow me!" Gabriel drug Kate with him to the monument and nearly went into convulsions of happiness when he read the words inscribed in the cool stone.

"You are officially starting to scare me, Gabriel." Kate just shook her head at her husband's behavior and listened to him explain why the monument had so much significance. Looking back to the monument, she rolled her eyes and sighed heavily at him; Gabriel was on the ground with his forehead against the monument, his eyes closed and arms wrapped around the marble, "What in the name of Jefferson Davis are you doing, Gabriel?"

"I'm getting in tuned with the spirit of Armistead," Gabriel replied simply, still running his hands over the monument.

Kate was about to go into one of her jokes of how Gabriel was a ghost whisperer, what with Susan's spirit occupying their house until after Shannon had been born, but Gabriel got a call from General Mayo explaining that he needed to come up with two-person groups for all-night picket duty to guard their camp from any trouble. Knowing that someone needed to be near Shannon constantly in case she woke up, he determined that Kate would be in a different group from him; she would be paired up with Riley for the first shift while he would be with Sean for the second shift. Seamus groaned in annoyance when he found out that he would be stuck with Casey for the two o' clock to four o' clock shift.

_Why am I always getting stuck with Glitter Britches? If I can make it through our shift without murdering that loon it'll be a miracle. _Seamus did his best to ignore Casey's protests of even being selected for picket duty. If that was any indication of how their night would go he wasn't looking forward to it, "Let's go find somewhere to eat before I decide to roast Casey over the truck's engine."

"Hey! This sexy beast is not on the menu," Casey leaned in close to Faye and gave her a playful growl, "Not unless you want a taste of what I have to offer…"

Faye instantly blushed at his comment, trying her best to hide it. She was saved by her best friend when she grabbed onto her arm and hauled her off toward her truck, but not before shooting Casey an evil glare. In fact, he was almost positive Ellen shot him the middle finger with her free hand. It was as if she was out to get him, because any time she was around the other guys, she was much calmer.

"Does she just hate me or something?" Casey asked Seamus as they walked back to the truck with Gabriel and Kate.

"We weren't the ones who called her a whore," Seamus leaned against the green Ram, his arms folded over his chest and an amused look on his face. "You need a filter on your mouth so you don't end up on some woman's hit list."

The sound of Gabriel starting the truck meant that they were getting ready to leave, "Enough chitchat. Let's go get something to eat and get back to camp," he called back to the other two men.

Without saying another word, everyone loaded into their trucks, eager to get something in their stomachs. With picket duty that evening, they needed to get back to camp soon in order to dress in their uniforms since the reenactment was beginning that evening. Seamus stared out of his window at Ellen's truck pulling away in front of them; the next time he would see the women they would be dressed head to toe in their enormous period dresses with their hair pulled up into some fancy hairdo. Who knew what Tobi would be wearing, and he was almost afraid to know. In the front of the truck, Kate and Gabriel were discussing where they would eat as they pulled back out onto Emmitsburg Road and drove into town. They didn't go far before he pulled into the parking lot of Friendly's, a restaurant right across the road from the Soldier's National Cemetery.

"Eat hearty… You're gonna need it for tonight," Sean chuckled while holding the door open for the others before going inside himself.


	41. Chapter 41

(Disclaimer: This chapter is rated "M" for content) *This chapter has a deleted scene that will be posted after the last chapter is posted. The entire Deleted scene won't be posted for certain content, so please contact if you would like to read the full version of it once it is posted.

**Chapter 41**

Gabriel removed his gun belt when he returned to his tent around two o' clock in the morning after finishing picket duty with Sean. He was quite certain his brother and cousin would be able to handle their shift without any problems. At this point, his cot was calling his name and he wasn't about to waste any time to standing around outside in the dark. Trying to stay quiet so as not to wake his wife and daughter, he stepped into the tent and over to his cot, where he sleepily removed all of his clothes except for his boxers. The last thing that registered in his mind was the sight of Kate's chest rising and falling as she slept on the other side of their tent. Hopefully the rest of the night would be peaceful.

The two Dawson men found themselves ambling through the far side of the Confederate cavalry camp close to thirty minutes after Gabriel and Sean had gone to bed. As they walked, the only sounds they heard was a chorus of snoring coming from the hundreds of tents scattered throughout the trees, and the chirping of the crickets—Nothing threatening. So far the third shift of picket duty turned out to be rather boring, which made Casey restless. He pulled his pistol out of its holster and started to twirl it around on his finger.

"This really sucks having to do picket duty. Do they really think those stupid Yankees would try to attack us in the middle of the night?" Casey pondered while still twirling the gun, occasionally switching hands.

Seamus shrugged his shoulders, "It's entirely possible, especially since they're doing everything authentically."

"Well, they had no business chasing Faye and I off when we weren't doing anything to bother them." Up on the hill to the west of them, a flickering of light through the trees caught Casey's attention. He tried to focus his vision, but it was useless, "Hey, Seamus… That's the Union camp up on that hill, right? I can't tell where we are."

His cousin looked in the direction he motioned, "I think so, why?"

A mischievous grin spread across Casey's face as he checked the pistol's chambers to make sure they were loaded, "How about we go pay them a little visit? It's gotta be better than doing patrol."

"Are you suggesting that we go infiltrate their camp?"

Casey just nodded and started off in the direction of the Union infantry camp. Feeling the need for a little adventure, Seamus ran to catch up with his cousin, and the two of them made their way to their target while ensuring that their guns were ready for the eminent brawl just on the crest of the hill.

The sound of men shouting and running around outside woke Gabriel from his sleep after what seemed like only a few moments of him being in bed. He glanced over at Kate, who had also been disturbed by the noise, and was now sitting up on her cot. Without saying a word, Gabriel stepped out of the tent flaps to see what had been responsible for all of the commotion. The tall form of Sean ran up to him while buckling his gun bet around his waist. Another sound registered in his mind: gunfire. He looked around to see where the sound had come from, but didn't see anything.

"What's going on, Sean?" Gabriel asked curiously.

Sean shoved one of his pistols in his boot, "The Yankee camp is under fire! We're just getting prepared in case they try to attack us."

"They're not going to attack us, because we have pickets out," Gabriel glanced around the camp, noticing that something was not right. "Speaking of our pickets… Where are they?"

A few moments passed, and then realization dawned on the two of them, "Oh, shit!"

_I'm going to hang those two up by their toes when I get my hands on them_. Gabriel immediately went back into the tent to dress in his uniform after noticing that he had walked outside in his underwear. He should have known leaving Casey alone with a pistol would end in disaster, but the fact that his brother had joined in with Casey baffled him. Never did he think Seamus would be one for troublemaking.

"It was Casey, wasn't it?" Kate questioned, not showing any sign of surprise, "We better go rescue him before the Yankees hold him prisoner."

Her husband yanked on his white cotton shirt and proceeded to button it, "Seamus, too. I'm going to take a guess and say that he's with my idiot of a cousin," he wrapped his gun belt around his waist and said, "Make sure you have plenty of ammo; we're not gonna get out of there without a scrap."

Kate and Gabriel were met by Mae outside of their tent after they were dressed, and the older woman gladly took a still sleeping Shannon from her parents. With the possibility of Gabriel and his wife leaving to help their family members, Mae decided to take her granddaughter to her tent for the rest of the night. She left with the baby as Kate shoved her long hair under her Hardee hat to disguise herself. Despite the little warning they received of the surprise attack, Kate had managed to bind her ample breasts with the bandage. Just like before at Jefferson, she concealed her derringer in her cleavage in case it was needed.

_Now I know Casey is trying to get on my last nerves. He better pray I don't put a bullet in his ass when we get him out of this mess… _Kate followed Gabriel, Sean and some of the other cavalrymen from their unit through the field at the bottom of the hill. The plan was to flank the Yankees through the woods and hopefully take them by surprise. By no means did any of them expect to leave the enemy camp without a fight. All of them kept crouched down once they were in the trees to the east of the Yankee campsite. Ahead of them, pistol and musket fire resonated off of the trees, announcing that they were headed in the right direction.

Gabriel held his arm out to stop the others a few minutes later when they neared the edge of the woods on the outskirts of the Union infantry camp. Why his cousin had chosen to raid that particular camp was a mystery to him. From the look of it, the Union cavalry had joined in the fight to help their comrades, "Alright, have your pistols ready and stay low…T.J., I want you to take half of the men around behind Officer's Row and come out between the tents to get them from behind. I will take the rest of us out in front to get their attention." He directed his captain, who saluted him before moving out with half of the group. Afterwards, he turned to say something to Sean, but cocked an eyebrow in amusement at the sight of his friend signing a cross over his chest with his hand, "I didn't know you were Catholic, Sean."

Sean looked up from where he was squatted beside Kate, "I'm not. I just figured anything would help us at this point."

Gabriel's group waited a little while longer, watching the fight already under way a short distance from where they stayed hidden in the trees. They could see Casey and Seamus ducked down behind a bunch of wooden crates, every now and then taking shots at a man in blue when they dared to do so. Even with the help of the raid party, they were going to be severely outnumbered. Gabriel watched the action to help him judge when it was opportune to take his group into the fight. That decision was made when Casey let his guard down and was surrounded by several Union infantrymen, all of them having their bayonets pointed at him. It happened so fast that Seamus didn't even have time to jump in to help him; he was currently warding off three heavy-set cavalrymen. All three of them took off running after him when he found an opening between them and a few tents.

"Well, hell! Now I have teletubbies one, two, and three on my ass." He ran while loading another full cylinder into his pistol. Chancing a glance behind him, he saw the men red in the face and dripping sweat as they charged after him, panting heavily, "Damn, I feel sorry for your horses… Hope none of you fall; there's gonna be an earthquake if you do!"

Seeing as how Casey and Seamus desperately needed help getting out of their predicament, Gabriel chose that moment to move in for the ambush. Shadows of men gliding behind Officer's Row told him that the other group was moving into position for their attack, and that he needed to get his group on the move. Pistols in the air, they crept out of the trees and along the first row of 'A'-frame tents, waiting for one of the Union soldiers to see them. They found a place to wait behind the wooden crates and placed the barrels of their pistols on top of the crates to help them aim. The only light in the campsite was that of the lanterns hanging outside of the tents, and also the dwindling flames of the campfires. It was only a matter of time before they were spotted; Lord have mercy on the Union Soldiers' souls when they did spot Gabriel's group kneeling in wait like a pack of wolves.

_Element of surprise, bitches, _Kate checked her right boot to ensure she still had her .44 tucked away. Looking back up, she could see Casey running her direction with a black-haired infantry sergeant hot on his heels. If she didn't act quickly, Casey was done for, "Sean, pop off a few rounds once I grab the idiot."

As soon as Casey was close enough to her, Kate snagged him by the calf and drug him down behind the crates. Her husband's cousin started to throw a punch at her face out of defense and confusion, but she immediately pinned him to the dirt by sitting on his chest.

"You do it and I will reroute your urinary system with the gun that does have bullets in it." She allowed Casey to scramble out from underneath her and join the rest of the group, "Do I want to know what possessed you two hooligans to launch an attack on these guys?"

Casey rolled his eyes at Kate, praying she didn't see him, "We didn't think the whole army would show up!"

Kate's voice was drowned out by the sound of Sean's pistol firing at the sergeant, which set everything into motion; The 1st Texas Cavalry's captain appeared from behind a wall tent with his group, catching most of the Yankees by surprise. The sudden melee of pistol fire allowed Gabriel's group enough time to sneak out from behind the crates to join in the fight. Back and forth both sides fired at each other, creating a roar that sounded like a swarm of angry hornets echoing throughout the campsite.

Sean was in the middle of pulling his Colt out of the holster at the back of his belt when a feminine yell caught his attention. Turning around, he saw a small group of women running at him in their chemises and stockings, brandishing wooden cooking utensils and some of them with brushes. One of the women even went to the effort of getting a fire poker. The group of women ran straight at him, intent on using their 'weapons' to drive him out of their camp.

_Oh, my sweet Atlanta. You've got to be kidding me! _Sean didn't have s choice but to run away from the women. Along the way he passed Seamus, who was being held in a headlock by one of the high-ranking officers. The last thing he saw before disappearing behind a row of tents was Seamus breaking out of the headlock and throwing the man over his shoulder, where the man hit the ground with a thud.

Back by the Union general's tent, Gabriel, Kate and Casey found themselves in the middle of a heavy firefight with a bunch of cavalrymen. Kate emptied several pistols in a matter of a few minutes and reached for another one behind her before she realized they wouldn't be able to hold them off much longer. They needed to forget about firing at them and make a run for it, but for that they were going to need a distraction. Their group was joined by Seamus a few minutes later after he managed to lose the man that had put him in a headlock. He was almost ready to pull his knife out to aid in the fight… That was until Gabriel yelled above the din of the heavy firing.

"We need a distraction so we can escape," he pulled out a baby dragoon from his boot and fired at a corporal across the way. "This has turned out to be one, big cluster f-."

"I'm on it!" Kate turned on her heels before disappearing into the dark trees, leaving some of the others staring after her in wonder.

Gabriel couldn't believe it; the Yankees kept multiplying! The longer they fought, the more of the Union men appeared. At this point he was almost positive they would be captured. Looking back to the advancing blue troops, he could see them wrap around to where they got within feet of where they stood. It was about to turn into hand-to-hand combat. Gabriel rallied his men into a line and instructed them to have all guns ready; they were going to charge the Union men on foot and pray it was enough until help arrived.

Back behind Officer's Row everyone watched Sean run by, followed by the angry women. The look in their eyes was that of pure hatred and rage, possibly even demonic. Especially the one with the fire poker.

"Evil wenches!" Sean had a wooden spoon hit him in the back of the head after a redhead threw it at him, "Ow! Dammit! Do you treat your husbands this way?!"

Everyone in the 1st Texas was running low on ammunition; a bad sign for them. They were really hoping for that distraction to relieve them; however, they wouldn't have to wait that much longer, because at that moment a loud whistle pierced the night air, drawing the men's attention, the Yankees included, behind the Confederate men. Gabriel just about had a stroke when he saw their 'distraction': Kate was lying on her side in a seductive position on top of the wooden crates. What had been shocking was the fact that the only thing she was wearing was her boots and her gun belt. The rest of her body was completely naked. A wry smile crossed her face as she twirled her .44 around on her finger while her other hand played with her long locks of blonde hair. It took the men a while to notice that she had more guns on her than they thought, secured by black leather straps wrapping around her thighs and torso. Her derringer was in plain sight held between her breasts by two smaller straps connect to the straps around her sides. She looked every bit of a man's fantasy.

"So, that's where she's been hiding all of her guns," T.J., Gabriel's captain, commented, trying his best to keep his eyes averted away from Kate.

_Not exactly the distraction I was hoping for_, Gabriel glanced around the campsite to see all of the men bug-eyed and some with their mouths hanging open at the sight of his wife laid out like a buffet. What was even worse was that Casey and Seamus were also staring, the latter of the two beginning to turn a nice shade of red from embarrassment. He didn't even want to know what ran through Casey's mind, although he could guess by the sudden tent that appeared in his pants, and hadn't been there previously… Not that he had been looking. Was he going to have to fight his cousin off of his wife?

Kate, on the other hand, had stood up on the crates after pulling out a second pistol to twirl. Her goal was to distract the soldiers long enough with her gun tricks for her group to escape. The only problem was that she had expended all of her ammunition in case she needed to use it, except for her derringer which had the bullet in it. Seeing some of the men turn their attention back to the 1st Texas, she had to do something fast to give the others enough time to get away. That was when she saw it in the middle of the camp: the flagpole baring the Union flag. Holstering her pistols, Kate strutted over to the flagpole before beginning a rather raunchy pole dance; she ground against the cold metal, wrapping her legs around it to sell the routine.

Gabriel and the others were too entranced by the show to realize that was their chance to make a break for it, even with Kate nodding her head towards the woods as if to tell them they needed to go right then. Kate was getting frustrated that they weren't getting the hint and decided it was time to put Plan B into action.

While hanging onto the pole like a sloth, she yelled, "NOW!"

A deafening explosion rocked the earth as a fireball and large cloud of smoke shot out fifty feet from the Napoleon cannon that had been rolled up to the edge of the tree line without anyone ever noticing. The concussion from the blast blew over some of the port-a-johns that had been in range of the cannon. A soldier ran out of one of the potties that had survived the blast, clearly terrified. He made a beeline for another part of the campsite to get as far away from the cannon as possible.

"Not the shitters!" One of the infantrymen groaned after seeing the damage.

Kate ran over to the others and shooed them into the woods while the Yankees were busy figuring out what to do about their bathrooms. She stopped long enough to grab her clothes she had hidden by a boulder, and started to yank her trousers on, all the while running with the others. The form of Casey ran up beside her with a sly grin on his face, catching her eye. What was he up to?

"Nice boobs. Let me see if they're real," Casey started to reach over to feel her still exposed breasts, but Kate put a stop to that when she shoved him down to the ground.

"Not gonna happen, horn dog," Kate continued to run after her husband and Seamus, who were only a few yards ahead of her. The dense woods finally thinned to where they could see the surrounding camps. Right as they made it to the open field, Gabriel stopped in his tracks, causing Kate to almost run into him. The rest of the group continued on to the camp with the reassurance that he and Kate would catch up to them. Kate took the moment to pull her shirt on and sit on the soft grass to rest after the adrenaline rush she had experienced during their night raid. Her husband joined her, pulling her back so the two of them were lying on their backs, staring up at the star-specked sky. It wasn't long before Gabriel rolled onto his side to gaze at Kate, admiring how her eyes seemed to twinkle in the starlight. How had he been lucky enough to marry such an amazing, beautiful woman? Never did he dream she would turn out to be such a rebel, not after remembering the sweet and innocent woman she had been when they had first met in Washington.

"You were awesome back there, baby," he gently stroked her arm with his fingertips and laughed, "and not because you walked out in the middle of all of those men buck naked."

"I had to do something to get you guys out of there," she explained, longing to kiss him.

Gabriel wanted to stay right where they lay and study Kate, to learn more about her than he already knew. A deep passion for her burned in his heart, making him think of a song he dearly loved. He remembered the nights he would sing it to Susan while they lay in bed, waiting for sleep to overtake them. At that moment he let the words come to his lips for Kate to hear, "…_Right now I only want to be here with you, 'till the morning dew comes falling. And I want to take you to the island. Trace your footprints in the sand. And in the evening when the sun goes down, we'll make love to the sound of the ocean._"

Tears stung Kate's eyes upon hearing the beautiful lyrics; she loved hearing Gabriel's sexy accent whenever he sang and wished he would never stop. Without saying a word, she wrapped her arms around him as she rolled over on top of him so that she gazed down at him in the darkness. Kate tenderly parted his soft lips with hers, pressing her tongue inside to play with his. Their lips moved as one, occasionally just brushing against the other's in a playful way. The moment Kate felt Gabriel's hand caress her bottom, her breathing halted; he always knew just where her body loved his touch. To show him just how much he was turning her on, she pressed her hips against his and slightly moved them while kissing him hungrily, aching for more. Gabriel broke the kiss long enough to run his lips along her neck, chuckling when he felt the goose bumps rise wherever he touched. Her intoxicating aroma filled his noise, awakening his senses. All he wanted to do was get her back to their tent to make love to her, but that would require them to be quiet, which was not possible for Kate. Perhaps they would just have to cuddle close until morning to satisfy their cravings.

"I guess we better head back to camp before the others worry about us," Kate sighed, already pushing up to her feet.

Gabriel followed her for a while, and then he took off running for the camp, calling back, "Last one to the tent gets naked first!"

Seamus, Casey, Sean and some of the other cavalry members were standing around talking about everything that had happened that night by the time Gabriel and Kate walked up. All of them were about to head to bed, but their minds were changed as General Mayo and his adjutants showed up, clearly not amused about being awake at such an hour. He stopped in front of the group and snapped a salute, which everyone in the group returned respectfully. What was he going to say? All of them waited anxiously for him to speak.

"So… Who thought it would be funny to invade the Union camps?" He asked sternly.

Not a word passed around the group; however, Gabriel, Kate, Sean and some of the others immediately pointed their fingers at Casey and Seamus, who sunk down in their chairs, knowing they were done for. General Mayo held his hard gaze on them for what seemed like ages.

"Táimid i sáinn an chocamais anoish," Casey said with an eye roll. He couldn't think of anything else to say that would be appropriate for how he felt at the moment.

Seamus laid his hand on Casey's shoulder to let him know that he wasn't going to let his cousin take all of the heat when he was just as guilty, "That, I will agree with you on."

The two men waited for the berating to begin after seeing the cold look on the general's face, but it never came. Instead, he laughed jovially and slapped both of them on their backs, surprising Casey and Seamus. Both of them had no idea why he was so happy when they were certain he was going to be livid with them.

"Good job, boys! Excuse my French, but that took a lot of balls to walk in there and wake them blue bellies up," General Mayo walked over to the others to congratulate them for a successful rescue mission. "As exciting as that was, don't do it again. And with that, I am going to bed…"

All of them took that as their cue to head to bed, as well. Casey was the first one to disappear into his tent once he had gotten Tate from his mother's tent, followed by Seamus going to his tent. Gabriel took one last look around the camp to ensure everything was safe, and then slipped inside of his tent to join Kate on a pallet she had made up on the floor with some quilts. At least they would get a few hours of sleep. Once the sun rose the real fun would begin.

**Author's Notes: **Gaelic words & meanings from this chapter... Táimid i sáinn an chocamais anoish= We're f***** now (pronounce it  
>like <em>tom wee-gee sawn on cock-meesh ah-nish<em>)


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter 42**

Bright and early on the big day of battle, Kate took advantage of the time while Gabriel was attending Officer's Call with General Mayo to freshen up by washing her hair. She had gotten a pitcher of cold water and a glass vile of shampoo from inside of their tent before sitting down on a wooden stool in between the row of tent backs for some privacy as she washed up. It had been a good idea, after all, for her to put on old, grungy clothes beforehand seeing as how the sudsy water went everywhere. Just as she was about to pour the clean water over her head, she looked up to see a foot emerge from the back flaps of Casey's tent, followed by the rest of Faye's slender form.

_What have we got going on here? Looks a bit suspicious_, Kate sat watching the other woman slink away cautiously, most likely on her way back to the civilian camp. A slight grin spread across her features as Faye disappeared around the corner of the end tent, and then Kate went back to rinsing her hair. She would question Casey about what she had seen. _Wait until Gabriel hears about this!_

Once her hair was clean, Kate disappeared into her tent to find Gabriel changing Shannon's diaper. From the look of it, Officer's Call hadn't lasted long, and Gabriel smiled brightly as his wife entered their tent with her hair wrapped up in a towel. She sat down on her cot, pulling out a small tote filled with her hair brush and other hair products. It was almost killing her not to tell Gabriel about what she had witnessed shortly before while she was washing her hair. Finally, she caved.

"Gabriel, guess what came slipping out of Casey's tent this morning," Kate broke the silence as she wrapped the bandage around her breasts to flatten them.

Her husband raised an eyebrow, now amused by what Kate had seen, "I don't know, but do tell."

"A woman, and not just any woman… Faye."

"Why am I not surprised by this?" He lifted his daughter up to his shoulder once he had her dressed and gently patted her bottom. _So that's where all of that noise came from last night. Oh well, at least he had a good time._

The rest of the time spent inside of the tent was used for Kate dressing in the layers of her uniform. At the moment she hated Gabriel for having the easiest time of getting ready, simply because he didn't have to use a bandage to bind himself with, or pull the trousers on over wide hips. The things Kate went through to be a man for a short period of time. Thankfully Gabriel had taken Shannon with him when he left the tent, leaving her to finish dressing in peace. Pleasant thoughts filled her mind, which ended up slowing her progress.

_This is going to be an amazing day for all of us, especially Gabriel. Only a little more time left until-. _Kate was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of Mae talking to her youngest son, telling him that Sean had been looking for him.

Not long afterwards, Mae appeared inside of the hot tent wiping her brow with the back of her hand, "I thought I would never get him away from here."

"Don't worry, Mae. I've got it hidden where he won't find it until everything is ready." Kate stuffed her hair underneath her hat and picked up her gun belt before walking out into the sunshine with Mae.

The cavalry camp was bustling around finishing their breakfasts and getting their horses ready for the battle. They would be portraying the battle that had taken place a few miles out of town at a place called East Cavalry Field where Major General J.E.B. Stuart had fought against the Union generals David Mcm. Gregg and George Armstrong Custer to get behind the Union forces as a way to help with any breakthrough during Pickett's Charge. It was expected to be a massive attack considering how many units were there, they just didn't know how big.

Kate saw Casey and Seamus in the shadows of the trees brushing down their horses' coats so they could get them saddled. Neither one of the men wore their wool jackets, indicating just how hot the temperature had already gotten. While they were alone, Kate figured it to be the perfect time to breech the subject of Faye sneaking around Casey's tent.

"Hey, Casey! Did you hear any strange noises last night? Like moaning?" Kate asked nonchalantly while running her hands over Buster's neck, and glanced out of the corner of her eye to judge Casey's reaction.

The light green male kept his attention on tightening Dionysus's bridle, "No. I didn't hear anything."

"Really? So explain to me why I saw Faye slip out of your tent this morning and take off like a bat out of Hell."

Casey stiffened up as soon as she had said the words. Why did Kate always have to find out about everything? It was like she was a hired spy or something along those lines. His eyes flashed around the clearing in order to see hers and Seamus's reactions. Kate watched him like a hawk while Seamus appeared interested, though he made no move to say anything in reply. Perhaps he didn't want to get involved.

_Well, I can't hide this one_. "Alright, Faye was in me tent last night, but in me defense she was the one who initiated it by coming in and waking _me_ up," he explained with a sigh. "How could I turn her away? I love her."

"Whoa. I've never seen you look so serious about anything," Seamus broke the silence that crept around them, clearly stunned by Casey's words.

The other male placed his saddle on the paint's back, waiting for Kate to say something, but she remained silent, "It's time me little girl had a mother that actually wants to be there for her, and seeing how Tate didn't want to leave her the other day, I know Faye's the one."

Not another word was said for the rest of the time it took to get the horses completely ready for the day. Secretly, Kate was pleased to hear that Casey had finally found the woman he had been waiting so long to find, and wished everything turned out how he wanted it. She knew what it felt like to find the perfect soul a person wanted to spend the rest of their life with since she had been in the same position. Kate waited for the two men to finish with their horses before they made their way to the head of the camp where the entire 1st Texas was gathering for a meeting. And Kate knew just what the meeting was about, too; she and Gabriel's parents had known for a long time what was going to happen in a matter of minutes since they had been in contact with General Mayo without Gabriel's knowledge. When the small group arrived, everyone in their cavalry unit stood around in their uniforms in front of the general's tent, waiting for the meeting to begin, and then General Mayo cleared his throat to get their attention after he made sure no one had been left behind.

"Thank you. Now, I know you're all wondering what this meeting is about, and what I tell you this may come as a surprise for a lot of you, but I think this is the best time to tell you," General Mayo started once the group was silent. "I'm giving up my command as your general. The wife wants to go traveling out of country and I've been forced to go. Unfortunately, this will be my last event, but I'm glad it's here at the 150th Gettysburg and with all of you. The 1st Texas will always be a part of my family."

Several members gasped as they gawked at their commander; who would lead them now?! Kate glanced over to her husband, who stood nearest the general with a startled look on his face and Shannon still on his hip, gripping onto the end of his ponytail. Obviously he wasn't expecting to hear the news. Within a matter of seconds he would be even more surprised, which brought a small grin to Kate's face.

Without waiting for them to say anything, General Mayo continued, "You're probably wondering who is going to be your commander since I'm stepping down. Well, I've had this person in mind for a while. He's the best damn leader and horseman I've ever had the privilege of knowing. Gabriel… You are to be General of the 1st Texas Cavalry from here on out."

Gabriel's eyes widen in further disbelief – if that was even possible. He truly was at a loss for words. The first comprehensive thought that hit him was to attempt to reject the position, but seeing as the announcement was made in front of everyone in camp it would have been considered rude to do so. _Am I really hearing what I think I'm hearing?_ _ Me? I never thought of myself as the leader type. What If I screw up? _

"Gabriel, are you all right?" Kate gave her husband a worried look. He had gone extremely quiet at the announcement and that was enough for anyone to worry.

Gabriel snapped out of his shocked daze and gave her a small smile, "I'm fine. I just need some time alone, I guess."

The others watched him saunter off with Shannon in the direction of his tent, some thinking that he was in too much shock to say anything else. And why shouldn't he be shocked? All of them knew he was capable of being a strong commander; it would just take time for him to get adjusted to the new role. Hopefully by the time of the battle he would be back to his normal self and eager to whip some Yankees like he always did. They saw him disappear through the flaps of his wall tent after stabbing the point of his sword in the ground near the lantern stake at the front of the tent fly. It was apparent Gabriel needed a lot of time alone to sort things out.

Gabriel sat on the edge of his cot gazing absently at the tent wall opposite him, still in disbelief about what had happened at the meeting. So many thoughts flooded his mind. Why him? What did the other cavalry members think about him being their new general? Would he be able to uphold the duties and responsibilities that came with being the general? Everything was so surreal to him at the moment, he didn't know what to do.

"Gabe, are you okay?"

Kate's voice pulled him out of his thoughts, making him turn his attention over to see her place a large duffle bag on her cot before she unzipped it. "Yeah, I'm good. Still in shock from earlier. I can't believe you knew this was going to happen and didn't say anything."

"We knew that if we told you about it, you'd refuse the position," she shrugged her shoulders and went back to going through the bag to find what she had kept secret from him for so long. Shortly after, she pulled out a long, gray wool officer's coat complete with the intricate gold braiding on the sleeves and the same three stars he had before on the collar, only this time they were surrounded by a gold wreath. The coat had never looked more beautiful than at that moment. "It was time to fancy up your stars a bit."

Kate carried the general's coat over to her husband still sitting on the cot in a semi-catatonic state as he tried to fathom everything he had witnessed. She stood in front of him, holding the coat up while she waited for him to don it and take up his rightful position as General. The twinkle in her pale blue eyes finally brought Gabriel out of his stupor long enough to take the coat from her and strip his old one from his body.

_I'll give him some time to sort things out. He'll join us when he's ready to accept that being the new general is the biggest honor he could have received_. Kate quietly left them tent after Gabriel set the coat beside him, taking Shannon with her to go visit Moira and her mother-in-law by the campfire, "You're daddy is such a girl at times, Shannon. Please don't get that trait from him."

While Kate, Mae, Moira and Ava sat in a circle around the campfire, they discussed Gabriel's reaction to being the general of the 1st Texas Cavalry and what they thought his final decision would be. The women looked up a few minutes into their conversation at the sound of booted footsteps approaching, and smiled happily at the former General Mayo standing behind them with his hands on his hips. They were pleasantly surprised to see him there.

"How can we help you, Sir?" Mae asked him, already standing up to offer her seat to him.

"Has Gabriel decided to accept the role of General? I dearly hope so," he looked around the group at the women, waiting for one of them to respond to his question.

"I have, Sir."

To their surprise, Gabriel strode in the group's direction now dressed in his new uniform and looking positively immaculate in it. He wore his sword belt with his pistol holsters, cylinder boxes and cap box attached around it, and his Hardee hat with the ostrich plume to complete his cavalier impression. The women were seeing what appeared exactly like an old tin-type photograph, only in real time. The only aspect missing to complete his appearance was Bo, and it wouldn't be long until he was sitting atop the bay stallion as they galloped valiantly over the battlefield, leading the rest of his troopers to victory despite what actually happened during the assault of East Cavalry Field; the true victory was being able to recreate the large cavalry battle of Gettysburg while being there with the people he loved most dearly.

"You make me so proud, Gabriel," Mae took her son into her arms, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "You're everything a mother could hope for in a son. I know you can be a strong general."

Mayo cleared his throat to get Gabriel's attention once Mae had released him from her grasp. The younger man turned to salute his former general, waiting for him to speak.

"Gabriel, I must meet up with some of the other cavalry officers to have them form up over by the large barn near the civilian camp," Mayo said. "Please gather the troopers and join us there in an hour to discuss our plan of attack."

Gabriel saluted him again, "Yes, Sir!" And then walked off to finish tacking Bo while his wife and the others spent time chatting away about random things, like what they were going to wear to the ball and what dances they hoped would be called.

Close to a hundred cavalrymen were gathered around the gray metal barn an hour later, baffling Kate when she and the rest of the 1st Texas followed behind Gabriel on their way to join up with Mayo. She had no idea that many people were camped near them, and gave up counting after a while. The group pulled up beside their former general, who sat on the back of a glorious black horse that had a sleek coat along with its wavy mane and tail. The most interesting feature of the horse was the long feather-like hair hanging over his shiny hooves. It wasn't the horse Mayo usually rode, that was for sure.

"I never pictured you to be the person to ride a Friesian, Jesse," Gabriel marveled at the beautiful horse in front of him grazing on the bright green grass.

"How do you like Hero? I decided to bring him instead of Scarlett to this special event," Jesse slapped his hand on the horse's muscular neck.

A smiled appeared on Gabriel's face when the other man said his mount's name, "Ah, you named him after General Longstreet's horse. Very fitting for him." He glanced around the massive group of cavalrymen, wondering what all of them would be doing during the battle. _Wouldn't it be amazing if we did a cavalry charge with all of us?_

Their meeting was meant to discuss their plan for the battle which was exactly what Gabriel had hoped for: a hundred-man cavalry charge down the hill to overrun the Yankee cavalry by the spectators. It was everything Gabriel had dreamed of, but he was in for another surprise. He would be in charge of leading the assault with the entire Confederate cavalry under his command. Fear started to course throughout his body as the reality of the moment sank in; he couldn't possibly manage that many people and still pull off a successful attack.

Gabriel turned around in his saddle to see every single person around him saluting to show their respect toward him. The display was enough to bring tears to his eyes. All of them believed in him, which gave Gabriel new strength.

From the second row of cavalrymen, between Casey and Sean, Seamus cried out with every ounce of emotion he could muster from deep inside of his heart, "Éirinn go Brách!"

Cheers rose above the crowd to join in with Seamus's rejoicing at their new general. Not only was he showing how much he was proud of Gabriel being their general, but that he was reminding his brother of their heritage and to keep it with him during everything he did and wherever he went. The air around the group was charged with an electric energy ignited from their exultations. From the sun's position behind Gabriel's head, he appeared to have a holy glow illuminating his form to seem ethereal, heightening the energy even more.

Kate beamed proudly at the sight of her husband in the sunlight. He truly looked to be enveloped by a heavenly light, as if he had the arms of an angel wrapped around him. But wait! It was, indeed, and angel. _Susan?_ She recognized the young female spirit behind Gabriel, only this time her former blue glow was replaced by a warm, creamy white glow. _You never left him, after all. Just like you promised. _Kate quickly wiped away the tears that stung her eyes, not wanting Gabriel to ask why she had started crying.

"Well, General… Shall we move out and get into position?" Jesse snapped shut his silver pocket watch after checking the time, "It will allow us to see just how big this place is."

Gabriel bore a crooked grin of excitement as he pulled out his sword from its sheath and held it close to his head with the point up, "1st Texas, move out!"

He, Jesse, and Sean led the way past the barn to parade by the gathering spectators with Sean carrying the unit's colors proudly to show everyone exactly who they were. Behind them every trooper trotted in twos to form a long line that reached clear back to the cavalry campsite. This was their moment to shine, to show the world what it meant to be a part of the Confederate cavalry.

**Author's Note: **Gaelic words & meanings from this chapter... Éirinn go Brách= Ireland Forever (pronounce it like _aer-in guh brawkh_)


	43. Chapter 43

(Disclaimer: This chapter is rated 'M' for violence)

**Chapter 43**

"Hurry up and wait… Typical." Sean lounged around on the grass beside Gabriel and T.J. while chewing on a blade of grass to entertain himself.

They had made it to their destination atop the steep hill and could see the peaks of the Round Tops in the distance from where they sat. Granted, they were on the Union side of the reenactment site, but it was where they were supposed to commence the attack from. Once again the battle was late to begin, forcing everyone to find something to do in the meantime. Gabriel chose to send out a few scouts to find out the location of the Union cavalry and what the holdup was. That was how Casey, Seamus, and Kate found themselves riding lazily along a line of trees and a low rock wall down the hill from the rest of the cavalry. For the most part they could see a large crowd forming by the sidelines, but no sign of the Yankees. That was either a good thing or a bad thing.

"Where do you think they are?" Casey mused, and then saw two women in dresses carrying canvas buckets of ice –one lilac woman and the other scarlet– run out from the sidelines to help a re-enactor who had gone down from the heat. _Well, if it isn't Beauty and the Bitch. Those two don't get a break, do they?_

The three scouts stopped behind the line of trees to watch Faye and Ellen attend to the man lying on the grass by himself; he was quite young from what they could tell, probably in his early thirties. Seamus was drawn to the way Ellen held the man's head on her lap as Faye scooped a small chunk of ice out of her bucket to put to the man's lips. When it came to the health of a man, Ellen was quick to help them from what Seamus deduced. He noticed Casey's eyes were fixed on the women also, or most likely Faye since he had announced his love for her earlier that morning. His cousin sighed heavily, obviously thinking about her by the way he leaned forward on Dionysus and rested his chin in his hands with his elbows on the horse's neck, just like a love struck teenage girl.

"Casey, just tell her how you feel tonight at the ball," Kate suggested.

The light green male rolled his eyes in exasperation, "If I can get her away from all of the other men."

"You'll get your chance to talk with Faye. I'll make sure of that."

A female scream from the direction of the women caught the scouts' attention. Looking back, they saw four Union cavalrymen emerge from the tree line to surround the two Ice Angels and the dehydrated Confederate soldier. The question of why the re-enactor had been on that side of the field was forgotten when three of the Yankees jumped from their saddles in an attempt to take the poor man as a prisoner; however, Ellen threw herself over the man to protect him from being captured, as she was not about to let them take a defenseless man without a fight. It was quite a show watching Faye and Ellen ward off the cavalrymen, that was until one of the men grabbed Faye by the waist so that he could throw her onto the back of his horse. Ellen scrambled after them, leaving the Confederate to use whatever means possible to defend himself, and managed to get her arms around the Yankee's calves, pulling him to the ground with Faye. The lilac woman tried to get to her feet in order to get away and wound up getting tangled in her skirts, sending her tumbling to the ground with one of the other cavalrymen clawing his way after her.

"I do believe this is not part of the scenario," Kate kept her eyes fixed on the action by the spectators, waiting to see what happened next. _Those spectators have no idea that this isn't part of the battle. _

"Kate! They're taking the women!" Seamus was in a panic as he watched the Yankees throw a screaming Ellen and Faye onto the backs of their horses before riding off into the trees with them, along with the Confederate soldier, "We have to stop them!" He kicked Hermes into a canter so that he could rescue the women, but Kate rode right in front of him, stopping Seamus in his tracks.

"No, Seamus! This is going to take all of us, because I'm positive this might be a set up." Kate wheeled Buster around on the spot and charged back up the hill with Casey and Seamus right behind her, "We need to get back!"`

_Please, God. Don't let them hurt Faye… or the bitch. _Casey was truly worried about the well-being of the two women. He was ready to do whatever was necessary to see that they made it out of there unscathed, even if that meant busting up a few blue bellies in the process. _Bring it. _

* * *

><p>Gabriel waited anxiously beside Sean –who had remounted Hijinx– for his scouts to return and tell him what they learned of the Union cavalry position. A pounding of horse hooves drew his attention toward the crest of the hill where Kate, Casey, and Seamus appeared a few moments later, galloping hard his way. The three of them slid to a stop in front of him and saluted, which Gabriel returned.<p>

"What have you learned?" He questioned.

Kate was the first one to speak, "The scenario has changed, Gabriel. Several Yankee cavalrymen have taken a Confederate soldier hostage, as well as Ellen and Faye. I'm afraid this is for real."

"Where have they taken them?"

"Sir, they disappeared into the trees near the suttlery." Seamus broke in, showing a deep concern by the way he spoke, "We need to save them before those damn Yankees do something to harm them."

_Who could be behind this? I've never known someone to go to the level of kidnapping another person at a reenactment_. Gabriel rode over to one of the troopers nearby in order to discuss ammunition, "Levi, I need you to get back to camp as fast as you can and bring back all of the bullets you can find. This is going to get deadly."

The other man wasted no time getting to the camp, and returned ten minutes later with a box of bullets, in which a good portion of the 1st Texas loaded into their pistols. Never did any of them think they would actually have to shoot someone. During the time the troopers were preparing, Gabriel and Jesse rode among them to ensure they were ready for the attack that was just over the hill. Gabriel found Kate off by herself with her head bowed and eyes closed in prayer as she clutched the Celtic cross charm on her necklace. Riding up beside her, he gently covered her free hand with his, making her look up to see his aqua eyes gazing at her.

"Whatever happens today, know that I love you more than life itself," Gabriel said in a whisper to help comfort her. "Just follow my command and be prepared to move fast."

Kate's expression turned into one of an angry woman out to kill, "Gabriel, for the love of all things holy, you had better pull that damn trigger, or so help me–."

"Oh good, you're ready for a fight. Save it for the Yankees, please." Gabriel patted her shoulder and checked to make sure he was sufficiently supplied with extra cylinders for quick reloads.

"They're down there! The Yankees are out in the open waiting for us!"

Kate and Gabriel turned around in their saddles to see a young man from a Tennessee unit riding back from the crest of the hill where he had been keeping a watch for any Union activity. He fell back into formation beside some of the other men from his unit to await orders from Gabriel. The moment had come to face the enemy head on, including the malicious man who ordered the capture of the two women and the Confederate re-enactor. Gabriel's heart pounded erratically in his chest at the thought of riding into a real battle; their lives depended on putting all of their training to use.

Once every trooper had fallen into their position in the battle formation, Gabriel joined Jesse, Sean, and the adjutants at the front of the formation before pulling out his sword again. "For the souls of our own people… and for General Stuart. Forward!"

Moving together as one unit, the cavalry advanced in groups of four set out in columns and rows to span the hillside with Gabriel, Jesse, and Sean in the lead; like always Sean carried the 1st Texas Cavalry's colors. A large troop of Union cavalry waited for them near the tree line, some of them riding around to encircle the group to protect them from any unknown attackers. Gabriel swept his eyes over the blue troops, searching for the hostages while thinking of a battle plan. It was finally time for the largest cavalry charge he had ever been in.

"Captain, sound the charge!" Upon hearing the sound of the bugle call, Gabriel spurred Bo into a hard gallop down the steep hillside with the entire cavalry following suit.

Many of the cavalrymen had already brought out their weapons in preparation, including Kate, who had one of her .44 caliber dragoons at her side. They followed their general into a fight without having a clue as to how the outcome would be; however, they were willing to fight to the death if need be. Ahead of them, the Union cavalry formed into two straight lines, one behind the other, to create a defense as they waited for the Confederates to reach them.

_God, watch over us and protect us_, Gabriel prayed all the while keeping Bo at a steady gallop toward the enemy. The distance between the opposing sides shortened greatly with every passing second, but the moment he looked up, a gunshot disturbed the air around them followed by a scream of pain from one of the men three rows behind him; the man had been hit in the shoulder by a bullet. "Hold formation! Do not break rank!"

All at once, the Confederate cavalry drew their swords from their sheaths in preparation for the moment they would collide with the Yankees. That moment arrived faster than any of them were expecting; the clanking of metal as sword blade met sword blade resonated off of the tree line, causing the spectators to gasp in awe. From the look of things, none of them seemed to realize that the battle they were witnessing was for real. For some of the re-enactors the battle had moved to the ground after they had been knocked from their mounts. Feet moved quickly as each side remained locked in their deadly dance with one opponent ducking occasionally to keep themselves from taking a sword blade to the side of their head.

While most of the cavalry was busy on the field in front of the tree line, the Dawson's found themselves winding their way through the trees on the tails of several retreating Federals. Gabriel had a hunch that if they followed them they would run into the person who had ordered the kidnapping. Without any warning, two of the blue coats split off in one direction at the same time the others continued on a straight path; a distraction.

"Seamus… Casey," Gabriel called back to his brother and cousin. "Follow those two cretins! And see if you can find the women. The rest of us are staying after these guys!"

The Yankee cavalrymen in front of Gabriel and his wife made a sharp turn to the right, almost disappearing from him, but he and the others kept on them as they continued to wind through the trees. They were positive they were being led to the man in charge of everything and that the situation was sure to turn nasty.

Heart pounding erratically in his chest, Gabriel prayed silently for the safety of his wife and the rest of his family as he knew blood was sure to be shed. _Keep her safe, Lord. Today is not her day to join you. _He pulled up on Bo's reins when he noticed the Yankees approach a man sitting on the back of a light brown mule a few minutes later. The brim of his hat covered his eyes, making it difficult to see who he was. To either side of the officer were four burly men, who stared menacingly at Gabriel's group. By the way they held their Colts at the ready it was obvious shots were going to be fired soon.

"Lovely day for a reenactment isn't it, Gabriel?"

That voice. The last time Gabriel and Kate had heard it the two of them were in Oakwood Cemetery in the midst of rescuing their daughter. Sure enough, they watched in disbelief when the man lifted his hat to show them who they would be battling in mere minutes. Max's glare pierced deep into their souls until Kate could stand the sight of him no longer. Only when Gabriel grabbed onto Buster's bridle did she refrain from riding over to the enemy to stab her sword through his gut.

"Today is the day you will join Nick in Hell!" Kate spat angrily, already pulling another dragoon from the pommel holster on her right in preparation.

Max glanced to the men beside him and replied coolly, "You kill me, and the two women will have their throats slit. So, I would suggest you choose wisely."

Unbeknownst to the family, a group of Union men showed up to block the way they had come, leaving them unable to escape. The only way they would make it out alive was to drop all of the Yankees, including Max. Every one of the Dawson's readied their weapons, for the fight began the moment a gangly soldier charged them from the side with his pistol pointed at Gabriel after Max gave the signal to advance: a simple flick of the hand in the family's direction.

* * *

><p>Seamus and Casey were quick to search for the location where they had taken the women as the rest of the family bought them the valuable time they needed; with Max and his cronies preoccupied in another part of the tree line they wouldn't have to worry about having to ward off unexpected Yankees. Or so they thought. The few enemies the two of them did have to face were easily taken care of seeing as most of the opposition was either busy in battle with the hundred or more Confederate cavalrymen just on the outskirts of the tree line or was caught up in the middle of the battle with Gabriel and the others. The Dawson men found the women tied to a tree a ways away from what looked to be Max's headquarters, and there were at least five guards keeping a close eye on them. However, Seamus and his cousin made short work of luring the guards away from the women, and then showed them they had the wrong idea to pick a fight with them. Seamus easily sunk the blade of his Arkansas Toothpick into the thigh of an advancing guard, dropping him to the dirt in a heap while his bowie knife found its mark between the eyes of another, more chunky guard.<p>

Ellen didn't know what came over her as she watched the men beat down the guards. One moment she was tied up to a tree as a very real battle took place, the next she was _backed_ against a tree _not _tied up, staring into Seamus's eyes. She could still hear the battle erupt around her, but it sounded so far off and distant at that moment, and it was so easy to push away and forget it for the time being. Seamus had her pinned underneath him, his eyes shimmering as he leant in for a kiss, and to her own surprise, Ellen didn't resist, pushing away all caution and just getting lost in the moment, her hands running over every ounce of him. Seamus pulled her closer to him, clearly as lost as she was…

And then, as quickly as it came, it was over, and Ellen found herself back in reality, her heartbeat thumping against the wall of her chest as she tried to figure out what exactly just happened. _What the hell was that? _It was the first time that she experienced something like that. _Did I really just have a daydream about kissing a guy…and not just any guy, but Seamus of all people? I must be going 'round the bend!_

"Dude, I don't wanna get on your bad side." Casey commented as they headed toward the women, "Or on the wrong end of your knife, for that matter…" Hearing a Union soldier running toward him from behind, he turned around and landed his fist in the soldier's jaw, "That was for Faye, ya dumbass."

"Excuse me," Ellen said, drawing their attention after she had regained her sanity. "Ladies tied up here! Who invited the moron, anyways?"

Faye shook her head at her friend's words. She, for one, was very thankful that the men were there to save them.

"Well, that 'moron' just saved your life," Casey exclaimed, defending himself. "I'd at least expect a decent 'thank you'."

Seamus knelt down and cut the rope, freeing Ellen and Faye from their bonds. Faye automatically hugged Casey in thanks, causing him to turn beet red.

Seamus chuckled, "Hey, come on lovebirds. We've got to get out of here before we get killed."

The four of them started for the horses so they could head back towards the others, but unbeknownst to them, they had been spotted by a Union soldier hiding in the bushes. The soldier drew his own knife and attacked, moving directly towards Ellen. Seeing the danger, Seamus knew there was only one way to intercept the attack; throwing himself in front of Ellen, he cast himself as a living shield. All that registered in his mind was the scarlet woman shrieking his name as he took five inches of blade in his left pectoral muscle. The pain was excruciating, yet he managed to overpower the man who had stabbed him, and knocked him unconscious. As soon as that deed was done, Seamus took the time to strip off his shirt and use it in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

Just like she had at Devil's Den, Ellen found herself staring at his perfect form, amazed that anyone could appear that beautiful even when they were in pain and dripping blood. _Have mercy... _Then it dawned on her: he had taken a knife in the chest for her. "You didn't have to do that," Ellen spoke in soft tones.

"And let you die? Not on my watch," Seamus replied while still holding the shirt to his chest. "Come on, let's go…"

They didn't make it more than a few feet before Kate crashed through the bushes with one of Max's cronies chasing after her. She whirled around on him and pulled out both of her .44 caliber pistols, pulling both triggers at the same time. The man dropped dead.

"Shouldn't have messed with me..." Kate returned the pistols back to their holsters. The sight of Seamus bleeding through the shirt caught her attention. "Damn. What happened to you?"

"I lost a fight with a knife. Any more questions?" Seamus was a little annoyed by Kate's questioning, but instantly forgave her when a bullet zipped past them from the direction Kate had come and stuck in the trunk of a tree, followed by Max and Gabriel stumbling through the bushes with the blades of their swords clanking together. The bullet had come from Gabriel's Colt, obviously, because he was in the process of shoving it back in the holster on his gun belt when Max kicked it out of his hand, rendering it useless.

"What your wife said about me joining Nick today was a joke, Gabriel." Max swung the blade of the sword around to strike his opponent across the back, only to have it repelled by Gabriel's sword.

During Max and Gabriel's deadly dance, Sean and the others faced a new wave of Yankees from behind the tents. Before pulling his bowie knife free from its victim's forehead, Seamus hurried Faye and Ellen away from the scene to have them hide in the cover of some bushes. Little did the women know that they were crouched beside the spirit of Susan, who had followed her family into battle. Rejoining Casey and Riley near one of the tents, Seamus dropped two of the Union men in a matter of seconds, both with shots to the heart from one of his revolvers. Beside him, Sean accidentally amputated a soldier's arm at the shoulder when he sliced his sword at the passing man. He had no idea his sword was capable of such a gruesome injury. To end the man's suffering, Kate sent the single bullet from her derringer through the Yankee's skull, silencing his cries.

"Any other time I would ask why you keep your sword so sharp," Kate panted heavily while continuing to pick off advancing Yankees. Not seeing one of Max's bodyguards sneak up behind her, she took a blow in the side of her face, which knocked her to the ground. At first she thought he would shoot her dead where she lay, but Casey stepped up behind the man at the last second and sunk the blade of his small knife in his carotid artery, spewing blood onto Kate and Casey both.

"And here you thought my baby knife was only good for picking teeth…" Casey directed the words toward his cousin, who shrugged his shoulders in reply.

A movement across the way caught Kate's attention, and she could see the same man the Union soldiers had taken as a hostage slip out from his bonds before he army crawled over to Gabriel's pistol lying partially underneath a bush. The man snatched up the pistol and fired it at the backs of Max's knees. Max let out a cry of pain the moment he was struck by the bullets and collapsed to the ground where Gabriel threw himself on top of his enemy to keep him from scrambling away. At first, Gabriel had Max immobilized, but Max managed to throw Gabriel off of him. Kate watched in horror as Max forced himself to his feet, putting the tip of his sword against the side of her husband's throat.

"No!" Once to her own feet, Kate ran full out toward Max, throwing her arms around his middle in an attempt to stop him from killing Gabriel. She yanked the sword out of Max's hand, throwing it away from them, and then she surprised herself by wrapping one of her arms around his chest tightly and the other on his forehead to restrain him. The strength at which Max fought against her despite his crippled legs nearly pulled her over. "Shoot him, Gabriel! DO IT NOW!"

Remembering he was without his pistol, Gabriel picked up his sword from the ground in preparation to end Max's life. He moved in front of Kate and Max, pressing the point of the long blade to the area just below Max's rib cage. Not a hint of emotion crossed Gabriel's face in the passing seconds. "Say hello to Nick for me, Max." With a quick thrust forward, he felt the blade disappear into his enemy's abdomen.

Kate couldn't bear the sight or the sound of blood gurgling in the mouth of the man, and eventually decided it was best to end his suffering. She quickly jerked his head to the side, snapping his neck with a sickening crack. The body went limp in her arms, which was her indication to let go. _It's over. It really is. _Her feet carried her away from the body on the ground until she reached the location where Rob was shoving his pistol back into its holster before they got to work dragging the fallen Yankees into the bushes to hide them from any spectators that happened to walk by.

Everyone else was distracted by the corpses of the dead Yankees when Susan slipped out from behind the bushes and walked towards Gabriel, going completely unnoticed. She had been observing the battle and decided it was time to do what she had come back for. In her hand was a thin strip of brown leather, or what appeared to be leather. Getting behind Gabriel she got to work, undoing his hair from its usual ponytail and shaping it to her will. The end result was something similar to that of Casey's and Seamus's, only without the braids that Seamus sported or the hidden bobby pins of Casey's style. The top and front layers had been pulled back into a half ponytail with the leather wrapped around the base and secured by a leather tie.

The only thing that let Gabriel know of something happening behind him was the slight tugging on his hair. Turning around to see what had touched him, his eyes fell on those of Susan, leaving him unable to move or say anything out of disbelief. The adrenaline flowing through his body must have caused him to hallucinate, because there was no way he could be looking at his first love… not after he witnessed her crossing over into the light. Just to rule out the possibility of going insane, Gabriel rubbed his eyes in an attempt to clear them. Susan's spirit still stood in front of him. _Either I'm losing my mind or someone needs to start talking to tell me what the hell is going on here. _

"Gabriel, you have protected your family from the two men that killed me. Consider this revenge for my death." Susan spoke in her rich voice Gabriel remembered all too well. "Because of your actions here today, you have proven yourself as a warrior of God. Therefore, changes were in order."

Gabriel ripped the mirror from Susan the moment she produced it out of nowhere and gawked at his new appearance. The first thing that caught his eye was the leather wrap around the half ponytail, "Where'd you get the leather?"

"Think of it as a medal for your victory. It's Nick's tanned hide." Seeing Gabriel's disbelieving stare she continued, "He was damned anyways, so I thought why not take something away from him just like he did to me?"

"A bit morbid, don't you think?" His eyes widened further in shock.

The only response he received from Susan was a shrug of her shoulders. And just as quickly as she had appeared her spirit vanished into the trees as if she had been a figment of his imagination, leaving him standing in the middle of the carnage. A shiver ran up Gabriel's spine as soon as she had disappeared.

An eerie silence crept around the clearing, the type of silence that was normal for a graveyard, not a Civil War reenactment. The battle had ended in the most violent way possible; however the enemy had finally been vanquished.

Ellen carefully pushed herself from the ground once she noticed Seamus on the other side of the clearing in the middle of pouring water from his canteen onto a handkerchief before holding it over the gash across the left side of his chest, gritting his teeth as he fought away the pain. He was hurt, and she had to help him. Snatching up her purse filled with medical supplies, she hurried over to where he sat with his back against a tree.

"Let me see it," Ellen dropped to her knees in front of him and pulled out several items in preparation to suture the wound.

Seamus hesitantly pulled away the blood-soaked cloth to reveal a five inch long deep knife wound that still seeped bright red blood. He watched Ellen gingerly dab a clean handkerchief from her own purse around the edges to clean the area. She was surprisingly gentle despite her previously known actions toward men.

Threading a hooked needle with black suture thread, she said, "I don't have anything to numb the area with, so I'm afraid this is going to hurt. You can hang on to me if you need to."

An unbearable burning was felt in his chest the moment Ellen dug the needle deep into his flesh, forcing Seamus to press his forehead against Ellen's shoulder. Over and over, the needle poked into his skin, and each time the pain intensified until Seamus felt tears sting his eyes. Eventually, he got to the point where he couldn't take the pain, and pleaded for her to stop. "Dear, God. Please stop!" He knew pain from when he had gotten the triskele tattoo on his shoulder blade, but the pain he felt whenever Ellen would sink the needle into the area around the wound didn't compare.

_I hate to make him hurt. _Ellen stopped her work and found herself rubbing his back as if making the pain leave his body. She could feel his fingers slide underneath the bottom of her dress and along the part of her leg directly above her knee. Her heart almost melted from the thought of him needing the comfort of a woman's warm skin underneath his touch. "I just have another two inches to go before I'm done. Hang on a little longer…" Without hesitating, she stuck him once more, trying her hardest to ignore his groans of pain; her job was almost complete. That was until she got within the last inch and saw him fall back to the ground, lying motionless in the shade.

"Seamus. Can you hear me, Seamus?!" Ellen leaned over the still body of the dark green male and shook him in an attempt to wake him. Nothing. _Good grief… He passed out_. Seeing Gabriel and Casey nearby, she turned and called, "Can I get some help over here?"

When Gabriel heard someone in need of assistance, he was surprised to see Ellen leaning over his brother, who appeared to be sleeping. That thought was dashed the second he noticed the half-sutured gash on his chest. From the way Ellen roughly shook Seamus without any response, he knew he had to step in. After grabbing a bucket of water from one of the tents, Gabriel walked over to where his brother and Ellen were.

"Back up, unless you want to get a bath," Gabriel tossed the contents of the bucket onto Seamus's face once Ellen had scurried out of the way.

That did the trick. Seamus instantly flailed around on the ground, spitting water from his mouth as he wiped his face dry with his hand. For a few moments he glanced around in confusion, unsure of what had happened. Then his eyes fell on Ellen, who sat in front of him with a concerned expression plastered on her face.

"Why do I feel like I have the mother of all hangovers?" Seamus finally questioned, rubbing his temples in order to clear away the fogginess.

Ellen was the one to answer, "You went unconscious while I was stitching up your knife wound."

"Well, that's embarrassing. Did you finish?"

"I have a few more to put in."

Knowing well enough that Ellen needed to finish tending to the wound, Seamus braced himself for the ungodly burning he had experienced before. The mistake was made a few moments later when he looked down to see her work; just the sight of the needle hooking into his skin was enough to make him feel light-headed, and that was when his vision went dark… again.

_Son of a— _Ellen hastily tied off the last suture and snipped it while Seamus lay there unconscious. Her next issue came about when she realized that they didn't have any more cold water to throw on him, or rather she didn't think about their canteens having water in them. That left her with the only option she could think of… "Hope he forgives me for this later."

Gabriel and Casey watched curiously, wondering how Ellen intended to revive their family member. Both of them cringed as she moved her hand dangerously close to the apex of Seamus's thighs and then gave his private area a strong squeeze. Being men, themselves, they knew how sensitive that particular area was, and weren't surprised in the least when Seamus shot up to a sitting position, swearing for everyone to hear.

"I COULD KILL YOU, YOU GOD FORSAKEN STRIAPACH!" Seamus brought his hands between his legs to stop the throbbing, all the while shooting nasty glares at a snickering Ellen. How in the hell did she find the situation funny when not one, but two areas of his body were in pain?

Leaning over close to an amused Gabriel, Casey whispered, "Good thing she doesn't know that he just called her a whore."

"I'm sympathizing with Seamus right now. I wouldn't react so nicely if a chick squeezed the shit out of my nuts, either," Gabriel responded, his attention still fixed on the two in front of him.

Seeing as how Seamus was fine, the small group dispersed in different directions to inspect the outcome of the battle, and to rejoin their fellow cavalry members gathered just on the edge of the tree line. For the most part, they suffered only small injuries if any, but for the ones who did have more serious wounds, Faye was already tending to them.

Not wanting to make her encounter with Seamus any more awkward than it already was, Ellen quickly disappeared to help her best friend with the men she had taken into the shade of the trees. If anything, she wanted to put as much distance in between her and Seamus as she could so as not to embarrass herself further.

_What possessed me to grab him there? I can't let myself get involved with him. _Ellen thought while disinfecting a small cut on the wrist of a young man. _Maybe I should consider getting to know him; he's the only man that's shown any interest in me and been nice. _Once she had finished with the cavalrymen that needed her help, she would put all of her attention on getting made over for the ball that night. Just the thought of the silky steel-colored ball gown hanging in hers and Faye's tent excited her.

"I'll see you tonight, pretty girl."

Ellen looked up to see Casey sitting on the back of Dionysus in front of Faye and throw a wink down at the lilac-colored woman wrapping a bandage around a man with a twisted ankle. Earlier during the day she had learned of Faye's late night trip to visit Casey and what had happened during that time span. Just the thought of Faye letting Casey get anywhere near her woman business made her blood boil. But then again, who was Ellen to judge, especially after having the daydream of kissing Seamus.

The last thing either of the two women saw was the rest of the 1st Texas riding off to their campsite with a newly changed Gabriel in the lead. Even Seamus rode along behind his brother after managing to mount the blue roan gelding. Everyone needed to relax for the rest of the afternoon to get refreshed for the night's ball, and for some that meant crashing on their cots with a battery-powered fan blowing on them for a little relief from the Pennsylvania heat.

* * *

><p>"Is that blood on you, Gabriel? Huh? Is it?!" Mae screeched the moment she laid eyes on her returning family. All of them appeared as if they had gone through a war, which they had. That was when she caught sight of blood spatter on Kate's cheek as the younger woman passed by on her way to her tent, "Why are you two covered in blood?! Did you get hurt?!"<p>

Tired of hearing her mother-in-law's frantic questioning, Kate turned on her and sighed in exasperation, almost yelling when she spoke, "Oh, for the love of– Would you do us all a favor, woman, and pop some Prozac or somethig so you'll get your panties out of a twist? You're giving me a migraine."

Leaving the distressed woman behind, Kate followed closely behind Gabriel to keep an eye on him. After their traumatic afternoon, she didn't dare bring up the subject of Max for fear she would upset him. The two of them stepped into their tent and collapsed on the cots after taking Shannon from Ava. Gabriel held his daughter close to his chest in an effort to calm his nerves. They were truly free from their enemies since the last one had been disposed of, which meant they could drop their guard for good.

Kate rolled on her side, propping herself up on her elbow. Admiration for her husband shown in her eyes while she gazed over at him caressing their daughter; there was just something about his new hair style that struck her fancy. He looked more like Seamus and Casey than he had before, which was all right by her. The feeling of her eyelids drooping alerted her that she needed a little nap to recharge for the night. That was exactly what she did once she noticed Gabriel close his eyes. In a few hours she would get to change into her new dress to stun everyone at the ball.

**Author's Note: **Gaelic words & meanings from this chapter... Striapach: whore (pronounce it like _stree-up-ack,_ as in "lock")


	44. Chapter 44

*This Chapter has a large scene that cannot be posted in entirety due to content. Therefore if you would like to read it please contact me.

**Chapter 44**

Excitement flowed through Ellen's veins that evening during the time she and Faye spent getting ready for the ball. The tent was sweltering from the heat, causing sweat beads to form on their chests and faces. Every few minutes they would have to dab a tissue over their faces to keep their makeup from melting off. So that they wouldn't burn up during the process of putting on the rest of their makeup and fixing their hair, both women sat around on their cots in their underpinnings, which was precisely the reason Ellen had tied the tent flaps closed just in case someone happened to walk by and see inside.

Faye concentrated on swiping a black liquid liner across her top eyelids, but her mind kept wandering to what she had witnessed when she and Ellen had been tied up to the tree. "So, I noticed you were staring rather closely at Seamus during the battle today. You quite like him, don't you?"

The question made Ellen look up at the woman sitting across from her, "I have no idea what you are talking about. No man will ever capture my heart."

"Right." Faye gave Ellen a knowing look, "Then I guess you would be wise to tell him to stay away from you just as you told me to do with Casey… This, by the way, isn't going to happen."

Ellen couldn't think of a retort to counter Faye's comment, and went back to dusting a highlighting powder onto her cheek bones. How long could she keep hiding her attraction towards Seamus? She hated to admit it, but she was turning into a normal woman with desires. _So much for vowing to hate men for the rest of my life. Faye's catching on, now._

"Ellen! Would you hurry up and finish putting your face on so I can do your hair?" Faye almost shouted as she dumped a bag of hair products onto her cot.

The scarlet woman pushed the thoughts of Seamus out of her mind in order to allow Faye to start on her hair. For the long process Ellen stared longingly at her beautiful steel gray silk ball gown hanging beside Faye's pale blue ball gown. A black scalloped lace ran along the hemline and along the lighter gray crepe material overlaying the silk underneath. The crepe had been drawn up into scallops around the skirt. At the bottom of each scallop gather was a black dangling crystal. What made the dress unique was the neckline of the bodice. It rose up higher than most ball gowns with it turning into a partial turtleneck on the sides and back and was decorated with the same black lace as the skirt. The turtleneck was made out of a thin mesh material to keep the wearer from getting too hot. Sure, the color of the dress wasn't as vibrant as most, but it suited Ellen's personality.

"I'm actually excited about going to the ball," Ellen stated a few minutes later, cringing when Faye pushed a bejeweled bobby pin through her thick, curly hair. "Ouch! Easy on the scalp, honey."

Faye spoke through a mouthful of bobby pins, "Sorry. For a girl with thick hair you sure are tender headed."

With only a short amount of time left until they had to head to the ball, both women quickly helped each other finish their hair before beginning the long process of lacing up the ball gowns. Considering they had gone through the same routine many times before over the past few years, they knew how long it took. Even though she was going to the ball that still didn't mean Ellen was going to dance. It just wasn't her cup of tea.

* * *

><p>Thank God, it fits!" Kate sighed in relief the second Mae tied her laces at the spot between her shoulder blades.<p>

Kate, Mae, Moira, and Ava had been hard at work helping each other for the past few hours get into their dresses, and Kate was relieved to find that her new dress fit despite it being made from her old measurements. That meant she had lost the rest of her baby belly in the months following the Jefferson reenactment.

A noise outside of the tent told the women that the men were already on their way. A few of the women scoffed in disgust as they listened to their men chatter on about something of no interest to them.

"All they have to do is change their vests and they're ready to go. Makes me sick," Mae said after fixing the low neckline on Kate's mint green-colored dress, actually pulling it down to expose more of her cleavage. The older woman was determined to make her daughter-in-law irresistible to all who set eyes on her.

Mentally rolling her eyes at Mae tugging her bodice down, Kate tried her best to not move her head while Moira pinned small braids within the tight ringlets she had spent the past thirty minutes setting as Ava stuck straight bobby pins adorned with clusters of pearls throughout her hair to finish off the regal look they were going for. Her ball gown made it difficult for her to stand for long periods of time because of the weight of the material pulling down on her hips, and that wasn't including the white mesh overskirt covered in the pearls Beth had hand-sewn on it. Hundreds of glass pearls would only add to the weight. In a sense, Kate dreaded putting on the overskirt, but it would be worth it in the end.

Thoughts of dancing with her husband at such a historical event filled Kate with an abundance of joy. Their last enemy was gone for good, which meant her family was free to enjoy life to the fullest. A noise off to their left caught their attention, and she glanced over to see Shannon on her stomach in her new outfit Beth had made for her. The five-month-old squealed happily as she played with the hair brush she had managed to get her hands on.

"So, do you think I'll be able to hook Casey up with Faye?" Kate brought up after some time of silence, "He's shown a huge interest in her lately… Especially after what I saw this morning while I was washing my hair."

With the possibility of hearing some good gossip, the rest of the women stopped what they had been doing to squeeze details from Kate.

"Ooh, what did you see?!" Ava leaned in from behind expectantly, practically shaking with curiosity.

A wry grin appeared on Kate's face, and then she replied, "I saw Faye sneak out of Casey's tent. You know what that means, right?"

"No! Did he really?!" Moira was equally shocked by her son's actions even though Kate hadn't actually revealed what had gone down in the tent. It was a no-brainer.

"Oh, yes. He got right into her pants… er… bloomers."

Seeing as how Mae felt uncomfortable discussing the topic at hand, she offered another possibility of what could have happened, "Maybe they were playing Go Fish."

"They were playing Go Fish, alright. He was busy fishing around in her woman business!" Kate threw her arms around wildly, forgetting that Ava was right behind her and made contact with her, "Sorry, Ava!"

"It's okay, I didn't need that eye anyway," the strawberry blonde responded while rubbing away the stinging.

A chime from Kate's phone ended the women's fun a few seconds later. Kate groaned when she saw the new text message in her inbox before she concealed the phone in her beaded reticule. The looks the other women gave her meant she had to tell them what the message said or they wouldn't leave her alone until she did tell them.

"Gabriel wanted to know if we were going to the ball, because we're taking too long." She rolled her eyes in annoyance, "I swear, the next time he asks if I'm almost ready, this girl is going to twist his penis into a pretzel. Let him have fun getting that one out…"

"Men are so impatient. Rob is the same way." Mae put the pearl overskirt on over Kate's head and snapped it closed in the back.

The men weren't going to be patient much longer, forcing all of the women to hurry with their jewelry and perfume to make them smell good. All four of them bustled from the tent wearing their gorgeous ball gowns, walking quickly in the direction of the suttlery where the ball was being held underneath a large tent. The pearls on Kate's dress gleamed in the moonlight shining down on them. Not wanting to admit it, the other women thought she looked like a queen; perfect for being the general's wife. Even her daughter was pretty enough to be a princess in her baby gown. She squealed excitedly in her mother's arms as if knowing she was on the way to a big event.

"Looks like the men have already raided the refreshments table," Ava pointed ahead of them at the silhouettes of the Dawson men and Sean standing underneath the tent, holding clear glasses of what looked to be punch.

Moira scoffed, "Gluttons. They'll be too water-logged to dance if they keep drinking that stuff."

Upon arrival at the ball a few minutes later, Kate, Mae, Moira, and Ava stood several feet behind the unsuspecting men, waiting for one of them to notice they had finally shown up after they had been griped at for being late. The men were oblivious; Casey had his eyes fixed on the lilac-colored woman across the way, standing beside her friend. Kate found the scarlet woman's rigid posture as strange.

_Forget what they say about having a stick up your ass_, Kate thought while watching the other woman's hard glare zeroed in on Casey, _She's got a broomstick up hers. _A movement out of the corner of her eye drew her attention to Casey making his way over to Faye and her friend. _You better be on your best behavior, Casey, unless you want another concussion._

Mae chose that moment to jab Kate in the ribs, whispering for only her daughter-in-law to hear, "You better let your hubby know you're here to dance. I see a woman over there with her eyes on him."

The mention of another woman attracted to Gabriel sent a streak of jealousy through Kate, making her bristle. _When Hell freezes over!_ Keeping her eyes on her rival, Kate handed Shannon over to Mae before making her way over to the men, "I'll get my point across that he's not for sale."

"What are you-… Okay." Mae could only stand back and watch what was about to unfold.

Silently stepping up behind Gabriel, Kate pulled the neckline of her bodice down further to make her breasts appear larger: a threat mechanism. She knew her behavior would not be appropriate for the occasion, but she didn't care as long as she was defending what belonged to her. Gabriel's reaction was one of shock when she ran her hands over his hips, moving them close to the area that was considered private to most people.

Just like Kate thought, Gabriel immediately turned around to see who had grabbed him so inappropriately. His expression changed upon noticing his wife leaning against him with her arms still wrapped around him. At first glance, he had trouble catching his breath, for he had never laid eyes on anything so beautiful. The delicate curls framing Kate's face made her appear like an angel sent down from Heaven; in fact, she reminded him of Susan whenever she had been dressed for a ball. A small tear stung the corner of Gabriel's eye, catching him off guard.

_I have both of my angels still in my life even after everything that's happened. I pray I never lose them. _Gabriel quickly blinked away the tear to return his attention back to his wife, who had moved her hands up to his chest, kneading her fingers into the muscles evident underneath his shirt and vest.

Every so often Gabriel noticed Kate turn her attention to the other side of the tent where he saw another woman staring directly at the two of them. That was when he saw a change in Kate's disposition. She had turned very clingy all of a sudden and possessive.

"Kate, are you jealous or something?" Gabriel carefully turned her head up, forcing her to look at him.

With a huff, Kate replied, "I don't want anyone to take you away from me… and that chick hasn't taken her eyes off of you ever since I got here."

He felt flattered that Kate wanted him all for herself, meaning that he didn't have to worry about another woman trying to push their way into his life. Kate was obviously very protective. "You have nothing to worry about, a stór. No one will ever draw me away from you." To seal in the truth of his words, Gabriel tenderly pressed his lips to hers, making sure the rival woman saw the look he gave her to prove he was taken. A small chuckle escaped his lips when the woman stomped away with her nose in the air.

Kate felt like she had won another victory as she stood in Gabriel's arms, silently gloating about being the better woman. It was at that moment that she noticed Casey pull Faye aside to talk with her. From the look of things, Kate didn't have to help him out after all. Standing close to Faye, practically breathing down her neck was Ellen. The other woman was keeping a close eye on Casey, waiting for him to slip up. On closer inspection, Kate saw Casey playing with something small behind his back: a ring.

"Oh, buddy… you got balls." She hadn't meant to say it aloud.

Confused by what his wife had said Gabriel turned around to see what had gotten Kate excited. "What are you talking about?" He mentally cringed at the sight of Casey dropping to one knee in front of Faye and taking her hand in his own. "Casey, you are not the brightest crayon in the box if you're gonna do that in front of Ellen."

"I can't decide if he's incredibly brave or incredibly stupid," Kate crossed her arms over her chest while watching the sudden marriage proposal taking place on the other side of the tent.

"YES! YES! YES!" Faye screamed as she jumped up and down, clapping her hands in excitement the moment Casey popped the question.

Almost everyone underneath the tent jumped when Faye gave her answer to Casey's question. Even Ellen was covering her ears while rolling her eyes in annoyance. Shocking as it was, she was relatively calm despite how she felt about Casey. Once Faye had regained her composure, Ellen pulled Casey away to give him a warning.

"I'm giving you a fair warning, Casey," Ellen's eyes stay fixed on Casey as she spoke, "You ever break Faye's heart, I will break you."

"I don't intend to break her heart. You have me word," Casey replied, holding onto Faye's hand after he had pulled her over beside him. Every so often he would glance over to see her expression.

The sound of the band tuning their instruments at the front of the tent told the large group of people the Grand March was about to begin. All of the couples, including Casey and his new fiancée, formed into a long line, awaiting the dance master's instructions. Seeing Ellen turn down several offers to dance, Seamus decided to take his chances, and approached the scarlet woman. He wasn't expecting to have much luck, but it was worth a shot anyways.

"Will you join me for this one dance, Ellen? I hate seeing you over here by yourself," Seamus stood in front of Ellen, allowing her enough room to walk away if she wanted to.

"I'm not alone. I have Tobi to keep me company." She was stunned to find the space behind her where Tobi had been a few minutes before void of Tobi's presence. _Of course he disappears when he's needed the most_. "Well, I guess I don't have a choice but to dance with you now that my wingman or wingwoman or wing- whatever he is has left me." Ellen allowed Seamus to lead her to the line-up. Besides, would one dance really kill her?

During the Grand March Ellen noticed her gay friend strolling along the outskirts of the tent holding hands with an unfamiliar blonde-haired man who looked to be in his mid-twenties. Both of the men giggled about something and never paid attention or noticed Ellen watching them. That explained where he had disappeared to. All Ellen could do was smile at the sight.

"You look really beautiful tonight, Miss Ellen." Seamus broke the silence in the middle of the opening dance. "The color of your dress brightens your eyes."

"Thank you, Seamus." Ellen actually blushed at his compliment.

Before long, the Grand March ended with the men leading the women back to where they had found them. As soon as Seamus walked away from Ellen another man stepped up to the woman, who immediately turned him down. Just because she allowed Seamus to dance with her didn't mean she would let any other man dance with her. The change of her attitude went unnoticed by Faye standing beside Casey near Gabriel and Kate.

_Great. Time for another lecture. Why can't Faye just accept the fact that I don't like being around men? _Ellen rolled her eyes at her approaching friend. Little did she know that her night was about to turn sour.

Faye walked towards Ellen after she greeted Seamus walking in the opposite direction. She was confused; one moment Ellen was telling her that she had no interest in men whatsoever and the next she was dancing with a guy. She didn't understand her. "Ellen?"

"What is it, Faye?" Ellen asked, her voice showing annoyance; she was getting tired of Faye's constant nagging about how she couldn't stay single forever.

"What's up with you and Seamus?" Faye answered a question with a question.

"Nothing." Ellen responded with a huff, "He just didn't want me to feel left out, that's all."

"Are you sure? It looked very different to me."

_Typical of Faye to ruin my night by bringing this up. _Ellen sighed before she replied, "Faye, I don't want to talk about this right now…"

"Well, I think we need to." Faye insisted, "You can't keep on running away for the rest of your life."

Ellen felt emotions rise up from long ago. Memories stung at her mind, making her heart clench in her chest and fear rise up in her throat. There were things that she wasn't about to talk about with anyone – and what Faye wanted to know so badly was one of them. She feared the judgment that others would cast on her. No one cared enough back then, so why would they care all of a sudden? Ellen had her own secrets to keep, secrets that no one, not even Faye, was going to find out about it.

Faye waited for a response. As the seconds stretched into minutes she realized she may not have gone about the conversation the right way. She could see emotion rise into her friend's eyes in a way she'd never seen before. Ellen was not the type to just break down. If she was reacting that way after she had brought up the question, then she'd struck a nerve. It came to Faye's mind that whatever caused Ellen to hate men it was probably something serious and personal and certainly none of her business. She'd do anything to go back and kick herself for not thinking her questions through. "Ellen, I'm – "

"Forget it, Faye." Ellen said, her voice stained with emotion, "Just forget it."

And with that the scarlet woman stormed off from the ball, her mind a whirlwind of emotion and her heart aching with the burden she'd been carrying for such a long time. What Ellen didn't know, however, was that with those three little words, another soul had been affected indirectly by her past.

In the case of Faye, it broke her heart knowing that she'd never break through her friend's hard outer shell since she had just thrown more wood onto the fire. Watching her go, she wondered if Ellen would ever forgive her for not realizing her mistakes sooner…

* * *

><p>Seamus stepped out from the large tent into the cool night air, needing to get away from the company for a little while. It was truly a beautiful night. The moon bathed everything in ghostly white light, giving the night that mystical feel to it. After a while of enjoying the night air, however, he heard the sound of a woman crying nearby. Concerned, Seamus tried to find the source of the sound. When he did, it was a sight that both surprised and made him even more concerned.<p>

Ellen was seated on the ground a little ways off from the ball tent, her back against the wall of the Coon River Mercantile tent behind her. She had brought her knees up to her chest and her face was covered by her hands. Her body rocked with heart-wrenching sobs.

Seamus felt like his own heart would break at the sight of her in such a state. He wondered what could've happened to make her break down like that, "Ellen?"

Ellen looked up, embarrassed to be caught in that condition. She had been in an argument with Faye moments before, so she had decided to go off on her own for a while, "It's nothing. I-I'm fine."

Seamus could see through that by a mile. He knew that something had to be seriously wrong to cause her to be as distraught as she was. Sitting down next to her, he said, "You know that I don't believe that any more than you do. What happened?"

Ellen averted her eyes from him. Tears were still pouring down her face, and she whimpered softly. She never wanted to be caught in her weakest state. She knew that people would ask if they found her sobbing for an unknown reason, and she had never willingly spoken about her troubles before, "Faye and I g-got into an argument."

Seamus gently – but firmly – took a hold of her arm. Ellen looked at him, startled by his bold action. His eyes were serious as he spoke, "Ellen, you and I both know that it's more serious than that. I can tell that this is something you need to talk about. Now please, tell me the truth."

Ellen looked down. Another sob escaped her. A mixture of fear and dread of what was to come filled her. Seamus let go of her arm, hoping he wasn't too harsh on her. But he had to do something. He knew whatever it must have been was eating her up on the inside and would probably drive her into doing something stupid. That was something that should be avoided at all costs.

Ellen sighed, then reached up to the side of her neck to pull the mesh material at the neckline of her dress down and bared her right shoulder to him. Seamus's eyes widened in shock as he realized what she was showing him: a seven inch scar ran across the joint between her neck and shoulder. There was no uncertainty how it got there; a scar left over from a stab wound was easily recognized.

"Skin heals, but your soul never does after something like this," Ellen closed her eyes and was silent for a while.

Seamus said nothing, waiting for her to speak. He was deeply shocked by the sight of the scar. It was evident that it was connected to a deeply traumatic event earlier on in Ellen's life. Possibly more than one. It also explained why he never once saw any of her skin below her neck whenever he had seen her in the past. With a spark of anger, he wondered who in their right mind would've harmed her in such a fashion.

Ellen opened her eyes. She wasn't sure if she should tell him the rest of the story. Her mind was telling her to be sensible, that he wasn't worth trusting. But her heart told her something else entirely. It was at that moment that she decided to take a chance and open up her heart, "My father died when I was seven… He was out for a drive… The bridge flooded."

Seamus felt the fading shock from seeing her scar come back to him in a newer, fresher wave, "Ellen, I…"

"I know." She sighed again, "Don't feel too sorry for me. It was his time."

It was silent for a few moments.

Then Ellen went on, "My mother remarried a few years later. I was thirteen at the time. He seemed nice enough. It seemed that we at least now had someone to watch over the family, again. Mom loved him, she really did. I was really happy for them. It was not until I was sixteen that things started to go wrong."

Seamus listened intently, but he had a sick feeling that he knew where her story was headed.

"He lost his job," Ellen lowered her eyes, "He told Mom he was looking for work, but he never got back up on his feet after that. He started drinking, too. Got into some serious scraps with the police. We barely got on back then. Mom had to take up work so that we could get the bills paid and food on the table. It got worse as time went on. He was rarely home, and I'm quite certain he was cheating on Mom. I asked why she never did anything about it, but she said there wasn't any real proof."

Tears started flowing again as she fell silent. Wrapping his arm around her shoulder, Seamus tried to give what comfort he could. He had no idea she went through such a terrible childhood. If only there was something more he could do.

"And then…" She bit her lip, "He started to become abusive. I spent as much time away from the house as I could. Staying over at friends and stuff like that. He never seemed to really care about what happened to me. The final straw came a month after I turned seventeen," she was sobbing full out by that point, "I-I got home late and he…he was drunk. Mom was working late. I thought he was asleep…and h-he…" She was unable to continue due to her hysterical sobbing.

Seamus didn't need words to know what happened next – it was clear that her stepfather had done unspeakable things that night...and that he was responsible for the scar. Pulling her into a hug, he rubbed her back soothingly and felt his shirt get soaked through with Ellen's tears. Anger flooded him to the point where he could honestly say he hated the man who harmed her. No one had the right to do such a heinous crime to someone else, "Hey, it's okay. It's going to be all right. He can't hurt you now," he pushed a strand of her hair out of her face as he spoke in the most comforting tone he could manage, rocking her gently.

After all that had been said that night, he couldn't blame Ellen for being so distant towards men. It was her way of protecting herself from ever going through a repeat episode.

Suddenly, a sense of determination filled him. Having understood the why behind her behavior, he was going to try and help her move on with her life, to bury the pain and to help her let her guard back down. No matter what it took, he would be there for her. Years later, when he looked back on the moment spent with Ellen, he would know that it had been the best decision he ever could've made.

Without telling anyone where he was going, Seamus led Ellen through the darkness toward his camp, sensing that she needed to be around someone who was willing to listen to her and let her vent her frustrations. Seamus was just that person. With a smile on his face, he looked up to the heavens, silently thanking the Creator for the opportunity to be a vessel for Ellen; the stars seemed to have shone brighter than ever before that night…

* * *

><p>After arriving at the cavalry campsite, Seamus watched as Ellen walked aimlessly around the camp as if she was disoriented by her surroundings, or possibly that her mind was fogged over from reliving her past. Before long, he stepped up behind her, placing his hands lightly on her shoulders. The sudden touch didn't cause her to jump, and she glanced back at him to see his expression. He was looking at her with concern in his eyes and seemed as if he wanted to say something, but she was unsure if she wanted to listen; everything was happening too quickly for her to process.<p>

A few minutes later, he decided to give her some time alone, and disappeared inside of his tent. When he entered, Tutu poked her head up from where she lay curled up in her bed, and wagged her tail in greeting. He bent over to scratch between the little dog's ears before sitting down on his cot and removing his boots. The vest and suspenders were the next items to be shed. Afterwards, Seamus fell back on the cot with his hands behind his head, gazing up at the tent's brace beam, his mind wandering in different directions. It wasn't long before the tent flaps opened and Ellen stepped in, the black tear stains still underneath her eyes from her earlier breakdown.

"May I come in?" She asked, unsure of what he would say.

He looked over at her, and then sat up, "I don't mind," the way she stood there by the doorway made him think there was another reason for her wanting to be in his tent, "Is something wrong, Ellen?"

Hitching the bottom of her dress up, she hurried over to him and threw her arms around his middle after falling to her knees beside his cot, "Can I stay with you tonight, Seamus?"

Wanting her to feel safe, Seamus held her against him, "Of course," he noticed the stains underneath her eyes, and got up from the cot to get a wash cloth and his canteen. After sitting back down, he got the wash cloth wet before gently wiping away the black marks, "There…that looks better."

Ellen yawned, surprising herself, feeling comfortable with him being near to her, "I didn't realize how tired I was."

"You should get some rest."

While Ellen removed her crinoline, Seamus made a pallet on the ground with some quilts and gave her a pillow to sleep on. The entire time he was getting her bed ready, Tutu watched him curiously as if she didn't understand why he was putting stuff on the ground near her bed. Once her bed was ready, Ellen curled up on the pallet, pulling a light-weight blanket over her legs. She looked down to her stomach when she felt Tutu lay down against her like she sensed how the woman was feeling. Seamus smiled at the sight, and then went back to his cot to get some sleep after taking off his shirt and trousers. The last sound to register in his mind was that of Ellen's breathing as she slept on the other side of the tent.

* * *

><p>A blood-curdling scream pierced the night air, causing Seamus to jolt to a sitting position on the cot, but not before grabbing his bowie knife from underneath his pillow. He shifted his eyes around the tent until they fell on Ellen, who was sitting up on the pallet with tears pouring down her cheeks and her knees drawn up to her chest, her arms wrapped around them. Her scream had scared Tutu so bad that she dove under Seamus's cot and hid there. Seeing the state that Ellen was in, Seamus set the knife down and ran over to her, dropping to his knees in front of her and pulling her against his bare chest. She continued to sob into his chest while he held her tightly, his hand on the side of her head as he rocked her gently.<p>

"Shh… Shh, everything is okay… You're safe, Ellen," he said to her in the most soothing voice he could muster.

Outside, several of the cavalry members poked their heads out of their tents to see where the screaming had come from. Even Gabriel had come out of his tent, wearing just his pajama bottoms. He noticed that the only person not looking around was Seamus, which meant the scream had come from his tent.

"Seamus," Gabriel stuck his head inside of his brother's tent and found him cradling Ellen, who had started crying uncontrollably, "What's going on? Is she hurt?"

Seamus glanced up at him and answered, "Everything is fine. She just had a nightmare, is all."

"Okay, I was just checking, because pretty much the entire camp is now awake and concerned," Gabriel disappeared after confirming that Seamus had everything under control in his tent.

Seamus sat down on the quilts and wiped away her tears with his thumb, feeling his heart ache for her. There was no need to ask her what the nightmare had been about; he knew that her past had just shown its ugly face to her. By then, her crying had dwindled with just a few tears rolling down her cheeks, but she still held on to him. Thinking she'd relax if she was lying beside him, Seamus pulled her down with him, resting her head on his chest.

"Nothing will ever hurt you, again… Not while I'm here," Seamus tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and noticed that her body was covered in sweat, most likely from her nightmare. "You're burning up, Ellen. Let's get these ridiculous clothes off of you."

She allowed him to unlace the bodice of her dress and take it off, including her skirt; however, when he started to take her corset and chemise off, Ellen crossed her arm over her chest and shook her head, "No… I don't want you to see me."

Seamus thought she was being a little absurd. He had no intention of doing anything physical with her, and yet, she still acted as if she didn't trust him completely.

"Ellen… please. Trust me," he gazed at her, his eyes pleading for her to understand that he wanted to comfort her.

After a few silent moments, she relaxed her arm and let him remove her confining corset and toss it to the side. She closed her eyes, waiting for his reaction when he took off her chemise and saw what lay hidden by the white fabric.

Seamus stared wide-eyed at the jagged scar running from her right armpit where the other scar stopped and all the way across her chest and over the top of her left breast. That scar was worse than the one on her neck. Anger flooded his mind once more at the sight of her mutilated body. _What kind of sadistic bastard would do this to a defenseless woman? _"Oh, my God.I can't stand the thought of thishappening to you any longer. You need to feel protected, and that's why I'm here."

Relief washed over Ellen when she realized that he truly cared for her and wasn't repulsed by her imperfections. That gave her the reassurance to trust him. For once in her life, a man respected her for who she was, and she was finally ready to let go of her old ways and love again.

"The last time a man has seen this much of my skin was the night I received these hideous scars," Ellen cast her eyes away from his and started to pull a quilt over her chest to hide her scars, but he placed his hand over hers, stopping her.

"Don't hide anymore," Seamus stroked his fingertips over her scars, feeling the raised flesh under his touch, "Everyone has their imperfections, but to me, you're perfect in every way possible."

The talk of imperfections made Ellen remember the injury Seamus received that afternoon during the battle. She never told him what to do once it had healed. "Speaking of scars, leave those stitches in for two weeks or more before taking them out. Then again, have someone else take them out so you don't pass out like you did today."

"I definitely don't need anyone groping my balls to get me up, so I'll make sure I get someone to do it for me."

_Can't he just forget about me doing that? _Ellen found herself running her fingertips over the puckered skin held together by the black stitches, and sighed heavily; his perfect body had been marred for good, "You're just like me now, no longer perfect."

He could tell by the way she stared at his wound that she was saddened by what had happened to him. "This is just one, tiny flaw. There are others more serious that I don't like people to know about."

She became curious, and pushed herself up to her elbows in order to look down at him, "Like what?"

One corner of his mouth turned up in a crooked smile, and he sighed, "I'm thirty-years-old, and I'm a virgin. Talk about embarrassing. If Casey ever found out… Okay, I don't even want to think about that," he pushed the image of his cousin rolling on the ground in hysterics out of his mind.

"Then let's not give him a reason to laugh if he ever did find out," when Ellen saw him give her a strange look, she rolled her eyes and leaned down to him, hesitantly touching her lips to his. For a moment she tested her own limits, unsure if she should continue. The warmth of his breath on her lips made the decision for her, shown by the way she forced his lips apart, allowing both of their lips to mold around each others.

The sudden show of affection took Seamus by surprise, and he pulled away from her, his face a bright shade of red, "What-."

"Relax, will ya. It's just like dancing. I'll lead!"

He could feel his hands shaking from sheer nervousness; she had thrown his plan of not letting their night turn into anything physical out the bloody window, "But in dancing, the men are supposed to lead…"

"Just shut up and kiss me!" She rolled over onto her back, pulling him down to her.

The nightmare was forgotten as the two of them kissed deeply. Ellen tangled her fingers in his hair and ran the tip of her tongue along the edge of his lips, making him part them ever so slightly, but it was enough to allow her to slip her tongue inside. That was all he needed to know that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. Needing to show Ellen just how much he adored her the way she was, he broke their kiss and dropped his head down to her chest, grazing his lips over each of her scars, kissing them tenderly.

At that moment in time, she thought her heart would melt from happiness; her soul healer had been found at last...

* * *

><p>The rest of the Dawson men stood around underneath the fly of Gabriel's tent, a few of them working on their second or third cups of coffee of the morning. None of them had a reason to be busy with the horses, and definitely didn't have the need or desire to join their women shopping. Seamus stepped out of his tent with Ellen having left a few minutes prior… and hopefully without being noticed. However, he was quick to realize that it didn't matter whether she had been seen or not.<p>

"Hey Shay, do you think you two could've been any louder last night?" Casey smirked, noticing that his cousin had finally made an appearance.

Seamus felt himself blush at the comment, "You heard?"

"Us, and the entirety of the Confederate cavalry camp," Gabriel answered for Casey, showing signs of amusement.

Seamus sighed. "Well, so much for keeping it to ourselves."

"I'm gonna have a hard time getting the images out of me mind, let alone get some actual sleep after that," Casey said.

"Shut it, Casey." Seamus snapped at his cousin, "I'd like to see if you did better on the first go!"

"That was your first?" Casey's eyes widened in amusement as he tried to hide the laugh that almost escaped, "You've got to be kidding me."

_Great job, Seamus. Now he'll never shut up about it! _Seamus gave himself a mental kick. He was not looking forward to the months of teasing that was sure to follow. "You're gonna keep quiet about that!"

"Or what?" Casey taunted. Oh, the situation was too good for him to simply shut up. "You gonna make me?"

"Casey," Gabriel's tone held a mild warning. He had wisely stepped out of the conversation and was watching out for danger signs. The last thing he needed was for the two of them to get into a fight.

"C'mon on Gabe, I'm just messing around. 'Sides, who knew Ellen was that type, considering how she hates men."

"Excuse me?"

Seamus grinned as he noticed who was standing behind Casey, "I think you'd better start hauling ass, Casey."

"What? Who's behind me?"

As soon as Casey turned he was met with a powerful blow to the jaw, causing him to stumble back a little. As his hand went up to where he was sure a bruise was going to develop, his eyes met Ellen's. "You don't know anything about my 'type'. My type is the sort you do not wanna mess with!" And with that she turned on her heels and started in the opposite direction.

Casey turned to see his cousins in hysterics.

"Next time you decide to insult her, Casey, make sure she isn't in earshot!" Seamus managed to get out.

Thinking Ellen had disappeared, Casey grumbled more so to himself than to Gabriel and Seamus, but it was still audible, "Maybe he outta nail her again so she's not so uptight every waking moment…" The next second he had his face buried in the grass after taking a large chunk of firewood to the back of the head. _I hate that woman… I hate that woman so much. _Stars formed behind his eyelids once again while he was still on the ground, and when he could see straight he found a metal canteen out in front of him. Hit again! "I didn't even say anything that time, you psychotic bitch!"

"That was for a future date when you will say something!" Ellen called back before stalking away toward her own campsite.

_I'd like to see what she can do with a gun or knife… but make sure Casey is far away from her beforehand_. Seamus's gaze followed her retreating form as he thought about how great her aim was.

Having a few hours before the big finale of Pickett's Charge, and to pull everyone's mind away from what had disrupted the camp's sleep the night before, Gabriel and the other men decided to take the time to walk around through the other camps to see what they had missed out on during the crazy events of the past week. They discovered that the other camps were quite expansive, covering a huge area of land surrounding their area in the tree line. Gabriel found himself daydreaming once again, only he actually felt like he had been transported back to the summer of 1863 in the middle of one of the biggest battles of the Civil War. He was awestruck; he was living his dream at last.


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter 45**

The mid-day sun beating down on them, the Dawson's, Sean, Ava, Faye, Ellen and Tobi, found a spot at the front of the crowd of spectators with an excellent view of the large field out in front of them. For once, they would actually get to watch the battle from a spectator's point of view instead of only seeing the parts they were involved in. The two women from Paris, Texas weren't quite so free. They still had to keep an eye out for any re-enactors that went down from the heat and tend to them, hence the reason they carried with them cloth purses filled with medical supplies.

A loud explosion made everyone jump nearly out of their skin, and then turn around to see several large plumes of smoke out in front of the long lines of cannons: the beginning of the massive artillery barrage. Within a matter of seconds the entire line shot off their loads one after the other, causing the crowd to erupt in applause. The Confederate cannon fire was immediately returned by the Union cannons a good quarter of a mile away at the bottom of the steep hill the cavalry had charged down the previous afternoon. Back and forth the two sides shot at each other, some of them going off at the same time. With the amount of smoke filling the air, the cannons furthest away from the spectators disappeared. The only thing that announced they were still there was the sudden explosions when they fired. They were holding nothing back.

Out of the corner of his eye, Casey noticed one of the gun crews acting sneaky. He nudged Seamus in the side to get his attention, in which the older male immediately bent over to listen to what Casey had to tell him.

"I don't know much about black powder or cannons, but I think those guys are gonna make one big boom," Casey pointed to the crew he had seen just as they loaded a large coffee can-sized load into the barrel of the cannon. "They already put one of those things in there."

"Do what?!" Seamus appeared horrified.

Casey was just about to speak again when the double-loaded cannon fired, causing the ground to vibrate. The two women looked up in time to see the cannon jump about six inches in the air before rolling back another three to four feet. All of the cannon crews near the cannon that had gone off starting to cheer. Even though the show of the cannons was exciting, most of them were looking forward to the main event of the hundreds of Confederate infantry crossing over the large open field to attack the Union perched behind the low stone wall. They didn't have to wait much longer. Once the cannons fell silent about fifteen minutes later a more haunting sound was heard. The sharp snap of drums pounding in the tree line brought everyone's attention up to see regiment after regiment emerge from the trees on their way to the Yankee center. As soon as they passed by the spectators a deafening rendition of the famed Rebel Yell rose high in the air. The numbers were staggering, but not near as many as the soldiers that had been in the actual assault, but still impressive. Despite the intense July heat the soldiers kept up their steady march with their rifles resting against their shoulders and their tin drink cups clinking as they walked. Within minutes the field swarmed with men in gray and still more kept appearing from the shade of the trees.

_This is amazing! _Gabriel pulled his phone from his pocket and began snapping pictures. It took everything he had to keep himself from joining in with their war cries. _I better not so I don't scare Shannon. _

Riding behind the regiments of men was a man with dark hair reaching to the base of his neck and riding a big brown horse. The man was supposed to be the famed general for whom the charge was named. He stayed toward the back to watch as his men neared the fence at the base of the hill on the other side of the road. At that moment the firing of rifles broke out. Almost immediately some of the men began to 'take hits', collapsing on the grass in heaps. Once more of the men made it past the fence a full out battle took place. Men from both sides clashed at the wall after the Confederates were led by a man brandishing his hat on the tip of his sword. It was hard to see what exactly took place due to the clouds of smoke obscuring the view.

"It sucks that the Confederates are gonna be whipped," Kate stood close by her husband watching the battle while keeping her hands covering her daughter's ears to protect them from the loud noises.

All Gabriel could do was watch the outcome of the battle; many men stumbled back the long distance to the tree line, some of them supporting each other while others crawled back. Still, the battle raged on. He knew all too well how it would end up, but nothing would stop him from hoping for a southern victory.

"It was never Lee's fault despite what some may say." Gabriel mused more so to himself than anyone near him.

It was over. Pickett's Charge wound up as a failure with bodies covering the ground, the largest area of destruction at the area of the stone wall which had been used as the Angle. By that point most of the rebels had begun their retreat back to the trees, and the loss was made even bitterer by the Union cries of 'Fredericksburg!' carrying on the wind after them. Every single one of them was met by the man playing General Lee riding down the line of cannons on the back of a gray horse. He kept apologizing for the mistake he had made by sending them into a battle they were sure to lose, and they tried to tell him that he had done no wrong.

Standing and watching the show at the front, Seamus turned to his side when he heard what sounded like sniffling. He caught sight of Ellen wiping away a tear from the corner of her eye and trying her best to hide it. _What's wrong with her?_ Not wanting to mention anything about what he had seen, Seamus started off for the campsite seeing as how the battle was over. _She's still one hell of a woman to me even if she doesn't like to show her soft side _

With the last battle over, Gabriel, Kate, and the rest of the group hurried after Seamus to catch up with him. It was a good opportunity to sneak in an afternoon nap before they had to go to the real battlefield for a special celebration they had been told about before the battle began.

"I knew I was asking for too much when I thought about a nap." Kate sat underneath the tent fly with an extremely fussy Shannon squirming around on her lap. She silently cursed Gabriel and the others for leaving her to deal with the baby while they rested peacefully within the confines of the tents. _What can I do to help her relax enough to go to sleep so I can catch a little sleep?_

The longer she sat there the more she sweated, and to make matters worse she began to notice an uncomfortable ache in the area of her chest. In fact, it was just downright annoying and painful. It dawned on her that the reason for her breasts to be hurting so much was from her not nursing Shannon at all that day. She or one of the others had only given her a bottle simply because she didn't want to have to remove the layers of clothing in order to feed her. That explained why Shannon had been fussy all day. If she had any hope of getting a nap that afternoon, her daughter needed to be satisfied with a full belly first.

"Mommy's sorry, Shannon," Kate pushed up from the chair and made her way into the tent to nurse the baby in private. "No wonder you've been so grumpy today." The sight of Gabriel passed out on his back with his mouth hanging open and snoring made her scoff, "Just once you should have to experience the ungodly ache of massive boobs that need milking, Gabriel."

Having gotten the baby latched onto her swollen breast after finally removing the last layer of clothing covering her torso, Kate relaxed back against the wall of the tent, being careful not to pull the entire tent down in the process. Her eyes closed momentarily as she tried to catch a few winks of sleep while her daughter suckled contentedly. That was short lived. Her eyes flashed back open at the sound of someone clearing their throat, and when she turned her head to see where it had come from, Gabriel had an eyebrow arched in amusement as he watched her from across the tent.

"Yes, can I help you?" Kate asked, not even remotely interested in a conversation.

A corner of his mouth turned up in a grin, "You should go around like that more often to make a man like me happy."

"It's hot; my boobs feel like they got slammed in a door… and you should really stop spending so much time around Casey before he rubs off on you."

Gabriel decided to keep quiet for the remainder of the time in case Kate was not in the mood for putting up with men, which she obviously wasn't. _It probably won't be a wise thing for me to say that those glorious melons look exceptionally perky today… _"So, I should let you get back to sleeping and nursing our child?"

"If you don't want to go see a doctor to have your balls removed from your body cavity, yes." Her eyes had shut once more, signifying that she wanted to be left alone for a while.

About five minutes of silence was all Kate could enjoy, and then Gabriel's voice could be heard from across the tent. It was just a mumble, not meant to be heard by anyone besides himself. Although, Kate knew he would eventually bring up whatever had been on his mind. When she got around to questioning him, she wasn't quite prepared for his reply.

"Gabe, what are you talking about over there?'

He rolled over onto his side once more, a sparkle glinting in his brilliant aqua colored eyes. They reminded Kate of the breathtaking Caribbean seas, "Oh, I was just thinking about how much of a joy Shannon has been since she's been here and that we should try for another one to give her a playmate; possibly a son to pass on the family name."

Kate felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her upon hearing her husband's suggestion. He couldn't have been serious, not with Shannon being only five months old. "Crazy Irish husband say wha'?"

"Don't you think so, too?"

The longer Kate tossed the around in her head, the more she began to warm up to the idea. _We can at least talk about it for a while. By then Shannon will be a little older and my body will be able to take on another baby. _"Hold that thought until we get home, honey. I want to be in the privacy of our bedroom and snuggling under the covers of the place where the deed will be done with the man who will help complete said deed."

Gabriel tried his best to hide the grin creeping across his face at her answer. _Perhaps a nice bottle of wine will help her warm up to my idea… _"Sure thing." _Throw in some chocolate covered strawberries for an added bonus. There's no way she'll resist._

Dusk was fast approaching, indicated by the multitudes of warm colors painting the evening sky. Many people throughout the camps had started off for the battlefield a few miles away to attend a special ceremony being held at the Copse of Trees. Instead of piling into the trucks to drive over, Gabriel and the rest of his family, excluding his mother and the two babies, thought it would be fun to ride their horses. As they rode along the dirt road leading toward the suttlery, Kate took notice of the three familiar figures sauntering along in the direction of the vehicles. Ellen, Faye, and Tobi never heard the group approach until they were within a few yards of where they were walking.

Ellen suppressed a groan of annoyance when Casey stopped Dionysus directly in her path, cutting her off. She stood with her hands on her hips and glared up at him, "I'm guessing all of you are going to the battlefield for the ceremony? It's gonna be sooo much fun waiting in that line of traffic to park." She made sure he heard the sarcasm in her voice.

"The good thing about riding a horse there is that you don't have to worry about parallel parking them or waiting in the lines," Casey laughed, taking no notice of her sarcasm.

"What the idiot is trying to say is that unless you want to show up at midnight, get on." Seamus offered his hand down to Ellen in order to help her onto the back of Hermes if she decided to accept his offer.

There was no way she could refuse it, not when she had relinquished herself and morals to him the previous night. And not just that, but she really wanted to feel his warm body against hers at least once more. Oh, how wonderful his strong arms had felt around her body. Just the thought of Seamus Dawson put her in a trance-like state as she stood there staring up at him perched so robustly atop the blue roan gelding.

"Ellen!"

The scarlet woman shook her head in order to bring herself back to the present to find everyone gawking at her, "What? What do you people want?"

Faye answered from her new place situated in the saddle in front of Casey, "Would you hurry up and take the man's hand so he can help you up there and we can get moving?"

"I don't need help getting on a damn horse." Ellen was indignant; if she could bring a person back from the brink of death, she could get on a horse, "Move out of the way, Seamus."

Without saying a word, Seamus quickly dismounted and stepped out of the way to allow Ellen plenty of room. However, he wasn't quite prepared for what would happen next. While holding onto the horse's reins, he watched Ellen back up a few steps before running up to the horse's side and jumping up to catch her foot in the stirrup. Disaster struck seconds later when she overbalanced, sending her flailing over the other side of Hermes, where she hit the ground with a thud.

"Epic fail!" Casey burst out laughing along with the others, tears forming in his eyes.

Seamus hid the grin that appeared on his face while bending over Ellen, who was still on the ground in the midst of fighting to untangle herself from her skirts, "You sure you don't need my help?"

To keep what little dignity she had left, Ellen pushed up to her feet and brushed the dirt from her dress, "I meant to do that." She brushed a tangle of fiery red curls out of her face on her way around to the left side of the gelding to try once more.

"Mmm hmm." Seamus couldn't help but admire her attempt to conceal her accident; she was very prideful, he noted.

Altering her plan of mounting Hermes, Ellen once again ran up to the horse, only to jump and throw herself over the saddle. She hadn't jumped quite high enough, because she ended up dangling with a quarter of her body hanging off the side of the horse and clinging to the saddle while her legs kicked helplessly in the air in an effort to catch in the stirrup. To make matters worse, the force of her jump made the hemline of her dress hook on the curve of her bottom, exposing her white pantalettes all of the way up to the waistline; Ellen had no clue of the show she was giving everyone. The women turned their heads away out of embarrassment; even a good part of the men didn't know what to say to tell her that they could see through the large slit in the back of the pantalettes… That was excluding Casey, who had his hand covering his mouth to muffle his laughter. Eventually, the need to say something overwhelmed him.

"I didn't even have to put on me sexy face or strip out of me shirt to see a woman's bloomers this time around. Damn, I'm good!"

"Ugh, can someone slap him for me… Wait, did he say my pantalettes are showing?!" Ellen screeched as she kicked harder, not only to get in the saddle, but to get her dress to fall down and cover her backside.

"I'm surprised you can't feel a draft." Casey chose that moment to break out into song, and for some unknown reason it happened to be the Oklahoma state song, "_Ooooooo-klahoma where the wind comes sweeping down the plain_… Or in your case, Ellen, up your ass!" He jumped down from Dionysus, leaving Faye where she was to assist her best friend, while humming through a good portion of the song until he reached a distressed Ellen, "…_We know we belong to the land, and the land we belong to is grand_," pausing momentarily, he stopped right behind Ellen, a wicked grin on his face, and then continued with the song, "_And when we say_…"

At that moment Ellen nearly jumped out of her skin in surprise when she felt Casey's hand shove up forcefully against the underneath side of her bottom to push her the rest of the way onto the saddle, which ended with her grasping for the saddle horn to prevent her from going over the opposite side again. "YEOW!"

"Excellent timing, Ellen. I had no idea you knew that song," Casey grinned in sweet satisfaction at finally getting back at Ellen for all of the times she had nearly maimed him.

The only response he received was a menacing glare that said 'you better learn to sleep with your eyes open'. "If someone has a loaded gun on them, please put an end to him before I give him a slow and painful death with my hairbrush or some other blunt object."

Kate spoke up, silently liking Ellen's idea, "Won't do any good; he's bulletproof."

"Uh, Kate… he got his finger stuck in a door earlier this week. What do you call that?" Gabriel broke in.

"I said bulletproof, not stupid-proof."

Completely ignoring the bickering between his brother and Kate, Seamus effortlessly swung up behind Ellen, taking hold of the reins and wrapping his other arms firmly around her waist to prevent her from falling off once they started for the battlefield. He could feel her relax into him moments later, telling him that she was comfortable and trusted in him. There was just enough time to sneak in a quick nuzzle against her neck, gaining a small sigh from Ellen in return, but the sound of Gabriel starting off in the direction of the main road into the town told him there wasn't time for anything more. Clucking to Hermes, Seamus guided the horse right behind Gabriel and Kate with Casey and Faye quickly catching up to them along with the rest of the group. Even Tobi had found a spot sitting behind Ava on the back of her horse. The feeling of being free flowed through his veins, and without any warning, he kicked the gelding into a gallop, resulting in Ellen squealing in surprise before digging her nails into his thighs to steady herself; how dare he do that to her. The rest of the group followed suit, almost getting into a race after a while.

Seeing Ellen's frightened appearance Gabriel threw back his head and laughed, "Relax, Ellen! It's time for you to learn how to live!"

Onward they flew, passing vehicle after vehicle until they turned onto Emmitsburg Road. At one point they even passed Mae, who had taken Tate and Shannon in Rob's silver truck since it would have been difficult, not to mention dangerous, to take them on the horses. Being the rowdy person he was, Casey flashed his aunt a wide toothy grin, creases forming by his eyes. There was no way he was going to leave Gettysburg without a little fun. Up ahead of the group all of them could see the start of the wooden fencing lining the road going into the national battlefield, as well as hundreds of cars in the process of finding a parking place for the ceremony. It would definitely be a night to remember for years to come…


	46. Chapter 46

*This Chapter has a large scene that cannot be posted in entirety due to content. Therefore if you would like to read it please contact me.

**Chapter 47**

Faint lights of the town's street lamps and that of the stars in the night sky was all the lighting the throng of people gathered at the Copse of Trees on Cemetery Ridge received that night as they waited anxiously for the ceremony to begin. Several officials went around to all of the people passing out paper lanterns, each one possessing a single wax candle stick inside with an opening in the top for the candle to be lit once instructed.

As for Kate and Gabriel, they had one lantern to light together, same for the other couples amongst the crowd. Once given the lantern and a small box of matches, Gabriel took the time to close his eyes and reflect upon the week's events. He couldn't believe the title of General had been passed down to him or that Max had been defeated, leaving his family at peace. In a way, he felt like a guardian. The only question that remained was what the future had in store for them.

_I have everything I wanted with me here tonight; Kate, my precious daughter, my parents, my brother, my crazy as hell cousin, his parents, new friends… What more could a man ask for? _Opening his eyes, Gabriel saw Kate watching him closely, almost as if trying to figure out what had been going through his mind. It didn't matter what she was doing, she always managed to take his breath away, whether it be from the way she cared for their daughter or her moments of 'I'm about to kick your ass'. A smile turned up the corners of his mouth, "I'm so blessed to be standing here with you tonight, Kate… on these most hallowed of grounds. Only in my dreams did I ever believe this would happen. I mean, it's not every day a guy like me gets to stand on probably the most haunted battlefield in the country with the most wonderful and gorgeous woman I've ever met."

Kate fought back the tears that stung her eyes from hearing her husband say such heartwarming words. She, too, would treasure their time spent in Gettysburg for as long as the good Lord let her live. There was only one thing she could think of that seemed appropriate to say in reply, "Tá grá agam duit."

Such beautiful words. Gabriel wanted more than anything to take her into his arms right then and show her how much he loved everything about her, but that wouldn't go over well with all of the people surrounding them for what he had planned; afterwards, perhaps, when the others went their separate ways for the night. A nudge on his upper arm brought his head around to see Ellen gawking at him in an amusing fashion with an eyebrow raised while helping Seamus hold onto their lantern to keep it from floating away.

"Would you just kiss her already!" Ellen groaned and rolled her eyes, "I swear, if you get any more goo-goo-eyed I'm gonna puke."

He didn't wait a second longer; pulling Kate and the unlit lantern closer to him, Gabriel smashed his lips against hers, forcing them apart to dip the tip of his tongue inside her mouth. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the others turn away, most likely out of embarrassment. Shivers ran up his spine from the familiar scent of lavender and citrus filling his nose; oh, how he loved it. _Sweet mother of-. Can I just take her back to the tent now and have that_ _discussion__of another baby before I go nuts? _Seconds later he was pushed away from her when she put her hand on his chest in desperation for some oxygen.

"What has gotten into you, Gabriel?" Kate gasped, "I haven't seen you like this, in a long time."

"Do I need a reason to show my affection toward you?" Gabriel replied with a smirk.

_I did enjoy that. _"Just keep it PG in front of the family, okay?"

Gabriel was about to pull her into another kiss when an official whistled loudly to get the crowd's attention. As soon as the people turned in his direction he immediately struck a match before carefully lighting the candle inside his own lantern to instruct them to do the same. The area started to light up with the glow of the lanterns as they were lit one by one.

Thinking he didn't need a pathetic match to get the job done, Casey pulled his Zippo lighter from his pocket and quickly raked the flint across his palm, setting it ablaze. _Fire. Awesome._

Ellen shook her head in amazement and spoke in a deep southern accent –one true to her native Louisiana– surprising herself that she had resorted back to her roots, "Ah, Lawd…. No one fawt or we's all gon go up in flams." Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Seamus chuckle; either he got a kick out of her comment or he enjoyed hearing her true roots come out, "Did dat just tickle you's fancy, Seamus?" _Dammit! Wish I could stop talking Cajun._

There was no hiding his admiration for her, not in front of his family. Oh, how he loved her and wouldn't change anything about her, "I sure did, Beautiful. That was something I never expected to come out of your mouth."

Just hearing how Seamus had spoken to the uptight woman made Kate wonder what had gotten into him all of a sudden. Could it have been true what Gabriel had said about his brother going to the point of sleeping with Ellen? She recalled hearing a noise the night before when she had woken to feed a fussy Shannon. It all made sense to her then. _Is there an aphrodisiac floating around in the air here at Gettysburg or what? It seems everyone is falling in love… or more in love. First Casey, then Seamus, and now me._

A feeling of peacefulness swept through the Dawson's as soon as their lanterns had been lit. The glow from them cast flickering shadows on their faces, almost creating an eerie ambience what with the wind rustling the leaves in the trees and the silence of the people gathered. If one listened closely they could almost hear the whispers of the fallen soldiers from long ago; perhaps wanting to tell the stories of their fate.

Kate's pale blue eyes flashed up to see a whitish blue glow pass by behind Gabriel and make its way between her family members, causing the light from the candles to flare up whenever the silky material of its dress drifted near the lanterns. A smile formed at the corners of her mouth. "Oh, Susan… You just can't stay away from us, can you?"

"Whoa! Did you guys see our lanterns get brighter when…Wait, who's Susan?!" Ellen turned to look at Kate from a few feet away, her face one of confusion.

Gabriel snickered and said, "My dead wife. The one I was married to before Kate."

"What'chu mean _dead_, Gabriel?" Ellen slowly stepped toward the green male, her hands clenched. "Like something out of _Paranormal Activity_ kind of dead? You mean to tell me you have dead people following you around?" She suddenly burst into laughter, "I bet you can now legitimately say 'I see dead people'. Ha!"

The moment Ellen turned back around to rejoin Seamus, she found herself face to face with Susan's spirit; lonely, but caring, eyes stared her down, the spirit's mouth a hard line, "Do you not believe in the afterlife, Ellen?" Her deep voice froze the scarlet woman to the spot.

Several silent moments passed as Ellen tried to wrap her brain around what she was staring at, and then she responded, "Holy shit! Ghost!" She thrust her fist forward to make contact with Susan's face, but instead punched Casey –in the wrong place at the wrong time– square in the forehead since Susan disappeared at the last second. The force of her punch sent Casey stumbling backwards. When Ellen saw what had happened she immediately covered her mouth out of shock, "I swear I was not aiming at you!"

"Even when I don't do anything I still get beat to pieces!" Casey grumbled while rubbing the area where he was hit, "Did she mess up me face?"

Gabriel smirked, "Nope, still looks hideous." When he noticed Casey narrow his eyes at him he immediately stuck his tongue out at him jovially.

At that point Ellen's hands had found her hips and she stood with her weight on one side, watching Casey fuss over the bump forming between his eyes, "Do you want me to mess your face up? Free of charge."

He quickly shook his head, eyes wide with fear.

The second Susan reappeared near the edge of the crowd Gabriel felt the need to speak with her to find out why she had returned after crossing over months before. Susan had her back to him when he approached, but immediately turned around to face him. Her warm smile filled him with joy, stopping him where he was. There had to be another reason for her return, especially after he had told her it was okay for her to join the Father in His home.

"Why have you come back, Susan?" Gabriel watched her closely, unsure of what to expect from her.

The spirit of his first wife took a step closer to Gabriel, holding her hands out toward him while keeping her eyes soft, "I was sent here… to escort the souls of those men that have fallen on this blood-soaked ground to Heaven. It's time for them to go home just as I did." She swept her arms around to indicate the hundreds of people holding the paper lanterns, "This ceremony is for them… to help guide them on their way."

Gabriel was stunned into silence; he should have known something such as the ceremony was a set-up, planned by none other than Susan, "You had this planned all along, didn't you, Susan?"

"I had nothing to do with this, Gabriel. I was merely a pawn in this whole thing to keep you busy until this evening."

"Sneaky as always."

Before the end of the ceremony Susan turned away from the family to make her way to the center of the crowd. Without facing Gabriel she whispered in his mind as she had done once before. _I'll see you again._

Hundreds of thoughts fogged Gabriel's mind when he rejoined Kate and took hold of the lantern. The way the candle flickered brought a sense of peace over him. Perhaps he and Kate were holding the soul of one of the fallen soldiers, waiting to release it into the hands of the Father. In fact, he was certain that was exactly what they and everyone else around them were doing.

"They're going home, Kate." Gabriel glanced up to see Kate's eyes twinkling.

She gave him a confused expression to tell him she didn't understand what he was talking about, "Going home? Who's going home?"

"The spirits of those who died here long ago…" he peeked over his shoulder to see Susan flash him a secretive wink, "And Susan's leading them."

Not one person made a sound in the moments that followed. It was a moment of silence in honor of the dead. A good portion of the crowd took the time to pray, closing their eyes to reflect on the events that happened on the very ground they stood on. If one listened close enough they would be able to hear the cries of the men as they made their final charge, the last ounce of effort, up the slope where they would reach the end… and for nearly all, the end of their lives, for some of the heaviest fighting was at the area where the low stone wall cut at a sharp ninety degree angle, which gave it the namesake the Angle. The men would come face to face with the men of the opposite color, and for some that happened to be their best friend or brother.

It was hard for many of the re-enactors to believe that they had their feet planted on the very ground that had been bathed in the blood of the men who gave everything, dying too young, some only being young boys. Most of the people were afraid to make a noise for fear of angering the spirits, but the faint sound of whistling disturbed the air around them.

Opening her eyes Kate looked off to her left to see the head official holding up his hands to get the crowd's attention. _Are we ever gonna see you again, Susan?_ She hastily wiped away a tear that seeped from her eye.

"May we honor the fallen men of both armies with the release of these lanterns…" He signaled to some unknown person, who started playing an authentic battle drum, the sharp rap of the drum disturbing the silence, followed by the haunting sound of Taps from a young private once the drummer had stopped.

As the final note of the trumpet fell silent each group or couple released their lanterns, watching as they drifted away on the breeze into the star-specked night sky. They rose higher and higher until some of them became nothing more than small balls of light. However, the lanterns weren't the only forms ascending into the heavens; Kate caught glimpses of bluish white figures mixed amongst the lanterns, including that of Susan hovering a few feet from the ground while ushering the spirits on their way.

_They're free at last. _A huge smile appeared on Kate's face, but suddenly the desire to see them make the final leg of their journey overwhelmed her. With more tears dripping down her cheeks, Kate left Gabriel and the others staring after her and ran the short distance to where they had left the horses. She leapt onto Buster's back, kicking him into a hard gallop toward the fields where Pickett's Charge had occurred. _I can't miss seeing her! Not when this could be the last time for a long time… or forever._

Gabriel's voice calling after her faded into the distance as she neared the first of the wooden fences lining Emmitsburg Road. There was not a second to spare, leaving her and Buster with only one option; the buckskin gelding flew over the top railing effortlessly and caused several drivers in passing vehicles to slam on their brakes and honk. That didn't deter Kate from her objective. Just as they cleared the second fence she could hear what sounded like a herd of horses thundering after them and knew it was her family.

Flashes of white light zipped by her as they galloped over the long stretch of field. The flashes were of spirits making their way into the sky, leaving the locations of where they had fallen. Feminine shrieks behind her told Kate that Ellen, and possibly some of the other women were witness to the strange event.

"They won't hurt you!" Kate had turned around to see what had made them scream, and she gasped at the sight of a Union soldier's spirit tangled around a distraught Ellen, who clung to Seamus for dear life.

And then she saw it, the large observation tower toward the end of Confederate Avenue, looming in the darkness. She urged the horse to pick up speed just as they passed Spangler's Woods, followed by a small farm on their left. Almost there, but then Kate would face the long climb to the top.

_Please, God… give this horse the speed I know he has!_

At the base of the observation tower, Kate yanked Buster to a stop before jumping from the saddle. Taking the steps two at a time, she scaled the tall, winding tower as fast as her feet would carry her. Every time she rounded the corner that faced out toward the Copse of Trees her eyes automatically searched for the moving column of spirits to ensure she hadn't missed Susan's ascent. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Kate stepped out on the platform at the top of the tower in time to witness a breathtaking sight; thousands of iridescent specks floated up toward Heaven from every part of the battlefield, including Little Round Top, Culp's Hill, Oak Hill, the Gettysburg National Cemetery… everywhere a soldier had fallen or was lain to rest. They mixed in with the lanterns to make a marvelous spectacle of light.

Kate jumped when she felt a light touch on her arm, and when she whirled around Gabriel was right there to wrap her up in his arms, which she welcomed happily. "This is simply beautiful, Gabriel. I couldn't ask for anything more."

"Maybe there was a reason we made this trip." He mused while running his fingers through Kate's hair, "It could be that we were meant to help all of these souls and lead them on their path just as I did with Susan."

Both of them jumped unexpectedly when a loud explosion reverberated over the fields at the same time a red light lit up the area below the Copse of Trees. They didn't have time to recover before another blast shook the earth, only with a blue light that time. After a few more explosions, it dawned on them what was happening. Cannon fire.

"They're doing a night fire. Watch and listen," Gabriel turned Kate around so that she could see the show.

The cannons continued to fire at one second intervals, each one shooting a different colored firework out of its barrel. They were set up in a semi-circular shape just below the low stone wall. From what Gabriel and Kate gathered it was to honor the dead, kind of like a twenty-one gun salute, but instead was done with all of the cannons that had been present during the battle. There wasn't a word to describe how moving the display was, and to happen as the soldiers were crossing over brought more tears to Kate's eyes.

Her head rested against her husband's chest as his arms pulled her tighter against him. She knew Gabriel still missed Susan terribly; however, it was also evident that he dearly loved Kate as well, only in a different way. She was his wife and had given him the daughter he desired, thus making his heart beat once again. "What next, Gabriel?"

The vine green male sighed heavily, keeping his eyes on the last of the spirits entering Heaven, "Head home… Live our lives without worry… Discuss more children…"

"…Help plan a wedding…"

"Possibly two." After receiving a blank expression from Kate he nodded his head down where the others stood with the horses, "My brother seems to have made a breakthrough with Ellen… and if I'm not mistaken, she has that look in her eyes."

A smile appeared on Kate's face, "And what look is that?"

"The same look you gave me when you agreed to marry me."

Kate was about to kiss him when Susan's voice filled her head, bringing her attention back to the Copse of Trees where she could see Susan's spirit bringing up the rear of all the other spirits. _May your days be filled with peace knowing I will be watching over all of you. There is a place waiting for you when it's your time. Until then… Tá grá agam duit, my sister._

"Tá grá agam duit, Susan." Kate answered aloud, knowing Gabriel heard the same message.

By that time the others had made it to the top of the observation tower, some of them panting heavily from the long climb. Seeing Ellen bent over with her hands grabbing her knees for support, Casey couldn't pass up the opportunity to rile the woman up.

"For a paramedic, or whatever the hell you are, you sure do get winded easily."

Ellen automatically glared daggers at Casey and replied between huffs, "If I wasn't about to pass out… I'd kick your caboose back down those stairs."

"Why don't you just throw him over the side of the tower? Save us the misery on the drive back," Seamus mumbled over his shoulder.

Mae, still holding Shannon, immediately smacked her eldest son on the back of the head, "Don't encourage her, Seamus!"

"I second Shay's suggestion," Kate put in, only to have Mae glare at her.

"Kate!"

_On second thought, if Seamus does end up marrying Ellen we could end up with major problems amongst the family members. Quite possibly and early death for Casey. _Gabriel quietly stepped away from the others to watch his beloved Susan return to her home. The moment her form disappeared, a bright spark of light lit up the sky and cast a glow over the entire battlefield… And then nothing. The only light remaining in the sky was that of the stars. Not even the lanterns could be of the cannons were silent. For once he found acceptance in her passing. She would always be there whenever he needed her, but hopefully that wouldn't be anytime soon. With a final glance at the sky, Gabriel turned to follow the others down the stairs to head back to the campsite.

"When we get back, a stór, can you get me a beer?" He slipped an arm around Kate's shoulder as they walked.

A wry grin crossed his wife's face, "I sure can, General. Anything else?"

"Oh, I can think of a few things…"

* * *

><p>Over in the civilian campsite, Ellen held open the tent flap for Seamus to enter the small tent. He had agreed to help her get her belongings packed for the long drive back to Texas the following day. After pulling a bag out from underneath Ellen's cot, Seamus got to work filling it with the things she wouldn't need the next day, including the beautiful jewelry she had worn while there. A smile formed when he picked up the familiar black and white cameo brooch that had set everything into motion for their relationship. Placing it gently inside of the small, clear bag with the rest of the jewelry, he began filling the bag with Ellen's extra underpinnings, folding them neatly so as not to wrinkle them. The sound of a glass bottle being opened made him turn his eyes behind him to see Ellen pour red wine into two crystal glasses.<p>

Seeing Seamus gawking at her work, Ellen cocked an eyebrow, "…For those times when banging your head against something hard just doesn't cut it."

"How long have you been a drinker?" He was baffled by her boldness.

"Since Tobi became my roommate." She took a long drink from her glass and handed the other one to him, "Talk about a trip. Every month we have to listen to him whine about having a murder scene in his pants. Like, really? You don't even have the necessary parts for that, so shut up."

Seamus pushed the mental image of Tobi out of his mind and polished off his glass of wine in three large gulps. Feeling his eyelids become heavy, indicating sleep was near, he finished packing the duffle bag before relaxing back on the cot. A quick nap would do him some good, after all. On the other side of the tent, Ellen kept busy breaking down the antique wash stand, occasionally glancing over to check on Seamus. Why, she had not a clue. Once she finished packing it would be her turn to rest.

* * *

><p>Ellen had just finished packing what was left and headed inside of the tent to get Seamus up, seeing as he had fallen asleep awhile back, but when she caught sight of him she couldn't bring herself to disturb him. Seamus had shifted to his stomach in his sleep, and looked the picture of innocence by the way his thumb was stuck between his smooth lips. His breathing was slow and peaceful. Ellen couldn't help but smile at the adorable scene in front of her. A rustling behind her made her turn around to find Faye pushing through the tent flaps with Casey right behind her.<p>

"Hey…have you seen…" Faye stopped talking the moment she and Casey stepped in to the fierce look they received in greeting. Ellen motioned in Seamus's direction so that they got the message to keep the noise down. Dropping her voice to a whisper, Faye said, "Well…that answers my question."

_Looks like we got us a little baby. Aww, so cute. Too bad I can't snap a picture of this on me phone without Maleficent seeing; it'd go on Facebook in a heartbeat. _Casey grinned in reaction to what he saw, all the while pulling his phone from his back pocket.

Ellen gave him a menacing glare at his response, "You'll say nothing to him about this when he wakes up, got it?"

Knowing that she meant the hidden threat, Casey figured he'd let the amusing situation go for the time being and quietly pushed his phone back into his pocket. He had been beat up enough for one day. "I'll go tell the others we found him." And with that, he left to go find the rest of the family.

Not wanting to upset Ellen or wake Seamus up, Faye stepped out of the tent to follow Casey back to the cavalry campsite. She had only made it a few feet away when Ellen's footsteps behind her made her turn back around.

"I'm sorry if I snapped at you, Faye," Ellen dropped her eyes to the ground. "I just didn't want him woken up unnecessarily. In all actuality it doesn't matter to me if he stays here all night… as long as you don't mind."

"Kind of like you did after the ball?" Her eyebrows rose in amusement and a huge grin spread across Faye's face with the secret of knowing about Ellen's time spent with Seamus. "And for the record, I saw what you two were doing earlier."

Ellen remained silent, her eyes widening in horror. How could Faye possibly have seen them? No matter, she would just play it off as no big deal, but from experience she knew Faye wouldn't buy it. There was only one thing left for her to do, "Faye… I love that man asleep in there on that cot. There's no way possible anything could be more handsome. He's an entirely different species than the others."

"And what's that?"

"Sex god."

_I'll give her that much. Just like Casey. _Faye responded by throwing her arms around the scarlet woman and squealing excitedly, "My girl is finally normal! What changed you?"

Ellen shrugged, "I found out what Seamus was packing."

"It's the accent. It put us under its spell, because the same thing happened to me with Casey."

_That's not what I was referring to at all. _"Sure."

"I'm just so happy you found someone, Ellen. Guess what that means?" The grin on Faye's face only grew, spreading from ear to ear.

The truth dawned on Ellen, almost making her sick, "Oh, shit. I'm going to be related to Casey… That is, if Seamus ever asks me to marry him."

"He will… There's no doubting that. And I can tell he loves you, too."

The sound of the cot squeaking inside of the tent told the women Seamus had rolled over on the cot. Glancing down at her watch, Ellen noted the time to be within fifteen minutes of midnight. The fact of the matter was that she didn't feel one bit tired, unlike Faye, who tried to hide a yawn. It was obvious she was ready to turn in for the night. Even still, Ellen couldn't bring herself to go lay down.

"Faye, go back to the cavalry camp and get some sleep." Ellen carefully turned her best friend around in the opposite direction, "I've got everything that could be packed ready to go for tomorrow."

"What about you?" Faye allowed Ellen to push her in the direction of Casey's tent.

"Don't worry. I'm just gonna stay up and draw until I fall asleep. You know me."

Silence was all that remained as Ellen watched Faye disappear in the darkness. It struck her then that she never apologized to her for fighting at the ball. That was going to be her plan before they left for Texas the next day. Once she was positive Faye made it safely to the camp, she reentered the tent to find Seamus on his side with an arm dangling over the side of the cot, his fingers brushing the carpeted floor. Being as quiet as she could be, Ellen removed her dress and boots before turning her back to Seamus. Why, she didn't have a clue. It wasn't like he hadn't already seen every ounce of her skin. Upon releasing the busk of her corset, Ellen sucked in a large breath of air and blew it back out; even though she would miss being in Gettysburg it was a relief to not have to wear the corset another day.

_Now to do some drawing…_

* * *

><p>"Yes! Yes! Oh, do it harder, baby!"<p>

"I can't do it any harder, Kate!" Gabriel pressed his thighs against Kate's while she lay flat on her stomach on the floor of their tent. Just when he thought his arm would fall off she let out a shriek of pure joy.

Once Gabriel sat back on his bottom, Kate rolled over to face him, "Thank you, honey. I hate it when I get itches between my shoulder blades; I can never reach them."

"Glad to be of service."

Both of them were about to return to their cots when Faye's head appeared hesitantly through the tent flaps. The expression on her face was one of uncertainty, probably from having heard the exchange inside of the tent. She relaxed when she realized Kate and Gabriel were dressed.

"I-I just wanted to let you guys know that Seamus is safe in mine and Ellen's tent. He fell asleep and Ellen didn't have the heart to wake him."

"Thanks for telling us." Gabriel bent over his sleeping daughter to tuck her yellow blanket around her body and planted a kiss on the side of her head, "Casey's waiting on you in his tent. He's having issues getting Tate back to sleep."

Faye only nodded as she disappeared from the tent entrance, leaving Gabriel and Kate some much needed rest. After remembering the headache of the long drive to Gettysburg he was almost ready to have Kate do the driving back, but instead changed his mind, not wanting to put the stress on his wife. Truth be told he didn't want to leave, and why wouldn't he when he was in a place filled with so much history.

_Now that I'm the general I've got so much responsibility and need to do whatever I can to keep my people safe. I still hope Jesse hasn't made a huge mistake. _Gabriel thought after lying down on his back with his arms behind his head. His eyes eventually drifted over to find Kate sound asleep with her back facing him. Satisfied after a few moments that she was fine, Gabriel allowed his eyes to close. _Let the long drive home begin…_

* * *

><p>Seamus cracked his eyes open to find himself staring up at the brace beam of a tent, a tent that wasn't his own. He didn't recognize the clothes hanging above him on wrought iron hangers. Just in case someone else was inside of the tent asleep he slowly turned his head and saw the familiar silhouette of Ellen amidst the glow of a lantern. She was seated on her cot with her knees drawn up close to her chest with a blanket pulled over her legs. Resting against her legs was the same pad of paper he had seen her drawing on the day they were at Little Round Top. Her head was bent down as she concentrated on whatever it was she was drawing. It made sense to him then where he was and didn't recognize his surroundings.<p>

_That's right. I laid down to take a nap while helping Ellen pack. _Seamus moved around to free his legs from the blanket that had somehow ended up on top of him.

The sound of his rustling pulled Ellen's attention away from her work to see him watching her closely from where he still lay, his dark hair shining in the light of the lantern, making him appear even more the picture of an angel. There was just something about him that captured her heart, which explained why the drawing she had been working on happened to be of him just as he lay on the cot asleep. Glancing down at the paper she noticed how perfectly she had sketched his beautiful body, including the softness of his face. Oh, how she'd miss seeing it once back home. If only there was a way she could see him without disrupting her crazy schedule.

The posture of his body drew Ellen in, making her set her drawing pad down on her cot before she quietly stepped over to him and ran her fingers through his long locks of hair, gaining a faint smile from him in return. _I need him. _"Did you sleep well, Seamus?"

"I'd sleep even better if you were here with me." Seamus replied, reaching his hand out to take hers.

With her gaze focused solely on him, Ellen carefully climbed onto the cot and sat down on his pelvis. There was no other way both of them would be able to fit on the cot, otherwise. The next thing she knew her head found the warmth of his chest as her hands rested on his shoulders. A jolt ran up her spine the instant she felt his fingertips trace her scars underneath the chemise; perhaps he was trying to bring her comfort.

"They're never going to go away, Seamus." Ellen sighed heavily, "If you're dead set on pursuing me are they something you can handle seeing every day?"

"I wouldn't care if you were missing both of your arms. Beauty is what you make of it." He pressed his lips to the top of her head, pulling her closer. _I wouldn't change you for anything; looks or attitude._

Allowing his words to comfort her, Ellen felt her eyelids become heavy as she continued to hold onto Seamus to keep him from leaving her. The last thing to register in her mind was Seamus singing softly to her in what sounded like a foreign language before he switched over to English. It was something about the worries of the next day waiting until that day was over. How true the song was.

"I love you, Seamus." The words were whispered in the dark, "You have saved me."


	47. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

With the trailer door shut and the latch locked securely into place, Gabriel turned around to take in the scenery around him the following morning. The time approached 10:30, which meant they would need to get on the road fairly quickly if they were to make it halfway through Virginia that day. It was still hard for him to believe they would be leaving such a beautiful place. Everywhere he laid eyes re-enactors were loading their trailers after taking down their tents and the rest of their camps. Across the road near the large barn he could see the small forms of Ellen, Faye, and Tobi folding one of their tents and packing it away in a plastic tub. They, too, would be making the long journey back to Texas, and quite possibly their drive would be longer.

Turning his eyes away from the civilian campsite, Gabriel made his way along the side of the trailer to go help Sean and Ava with the poles of their tent, but halfway down the trailer something caught his eye. At first he thought it was nothing out of the ordinary, but then he did a double take; the gold lettering of 'Colonel' on the side of the trailer had been crossed out with black paint, and written above it in the same paint was the word 'Ginral'.

_Casey. _Gabriel rolled his eyes and kept walking. His cousin was the only person crazy enough to paint on his trailer… or spell that atrociously. Upon arriving at the spot where the others were disassembling his best friend's tent, he chuckled at the sight of Kate giving orders to the other men on how to get the job done. "Looks like you have them trained, a mhuirnín. How'd you manage that one?"

A sly grin appeared on Kate's face, "I told them that if they did this quickly there was a possibility of getting another strip show out of me in the near future."

_Dear God, no. _Not that Gabriel didn't enjoy his wife's distraction during the night raid he just didn't want anyone else to see her like that, again. "Well, when you guys are done there let's go see if Ellen and Faye need any help."

Kate gave him a thumbs up before going over to gripe at Casey for folding his side of the tent wrong.

* * *

><p>Having pulled her thick hair into a high ponytail for a little relief from the heat causing it stick to her neck, Ellen climbed into the bed of her truck to carefully position the wooden washstand where it wouldn't get damaged on the drive back. All morning her work had been slowed by the constant thoughts of the man she had fallen hard for. The only thing keeping her on track was Faye tossing items up to her to be loaded. As soon as they got their cots loaded then she'd pull her aside to apologize for her behavior at the ball. After making sure the cots were secured in the bed of the truck, she jumped down to help Faye put their duffle bags into the cab. The two women worked in silence for some time until Ellen touched Faye on the arm, making her best friend look her way. The younger of the two women didn't understand why her friend wanted to take valuable time away from their packing.<p>

"Faye, can I talk with you?" Ellen spoke up.

Faye kept her eyes focused on the other woman, unsure of what she wanted to talk about. "What about?"

"The ball." Ellen replied, and then sighed, "I'm sorry. There was no reason for me to get so upset with you, especially since you didn't know why."

"What upset you that much?" Faye asked, "I don't mean to be pushy or anything, but I'd like to understand you a bit more."

"It's very personal," Ellen said, "I don't think anyone knew until now except Mom."

"Take your time," Faye said, understanding that it wasn't easy for her friend.

Ellen smiled sadly at her, thankful that she had been given a moment to find her strength. It was hard enough for her to open up to Seamus the night he had found her outside of the ball, and it appeared that she'd have to do it again. Taking a deep breath, she started, "Remember that I told you that my mom remarried?"

Faye nodded; that was about all she knew about Ellen's home by then. That her father died and her mom married a second time. But she wondered what that had to with anything.

"Well, things weren't as perfect as it looked back then," Ellen said, lowering her eyes as the memories surged back to her, "My stepfather lost his job somewhere along the line. Mom had to give up nearly all her time to keep us going. And after I turned seventeen…well…" She reached up and revealed the scar that ran across the joint between her neck and shoulder. Tears started to pool in her eyes once more, "This is what happened."

Faye stared in complete shock at the scar. Nowonder Ellen hated men! And always wore shirts with high necklines. If the last time she had let a man near her was when she had gotten her scar….

Noticing Faye's shocked expression, Ellen added, "The other one's worse."

"_Other _one?"

Ellen nodded, tears running freely, "I thought I was going to die…there was so much blood. Everywhere. I can't remember much except the red, but Mom said she came home early, just in time to save my life. And the rest is pretty much obvious. I woke up in the hospital a week later."

Faye didn't know what to say. It was evident that it was the first time Ellen had spoken about her secret in a long, long time. Hugging her best friend, she said, "Please tell me that asshole is rotting away in some prison for this."

Ellen chuckled a little, "As we speak, yes. Mom also filed for a divorce."

"That's good," Faye said, pulling away, "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"Well, first off, I was scared," Ellen said, "And I just wanted to leave the whole episode behind me. It's not that I didn't trust you, I just wanted to forget."

"But you can't _just _forget, Ellen."

"Yeah, I know that, now. And holding it all in was doing more harm than good."

"Next time you need to talk about something like this, you come to me, okay?" Faye hugged her best friend tightly and smiled when she felt Ellen do the same in return.

"Deal, I don't want to handle this on my own anymore anyways."

Returning to the truck, Ellen and Faye found Tobi in the cab of the truck pushing different buttons on the stereo as he searched for a suitable song to listen to while they finished loading their belongings. The flamboyant male eventually landed on a song that all three of them found worth singing along to, especially Ellen, who made a huge show of it by throwing her back up against the side of the truck and grinding along the side while hanging onto the top edge of the truck bed once the song headed into the chorus.

"_All I wanna do is make love to you. One night of love was all we knew._" A laugh escaped her lips when she noticed Faye standing on the hood of the truck, equally involved with the song seeing as how she had found a plastic soda bottle to use as a microphone, "_All I wanna do is make love to you. I've got loving arms to hold on to._"

Meanwhile, standing only ten feet away from the display was the Dawson's. The men were rather enthralled by the show, evident by the way they stood there with their arms folded over their chests and eyebrows arched. Kate and the other women couldn't help but move their hips in time with the music, completely oblivious to the hungry looks in the men's eyes. The one most intrigued by the show was Casey, for he couldn't remove his eyes from his fiancée, who had gotten down on all fours while still using the truck's hood as her stage. Not long afterwards, he noted something odd about what he was watching.

"There were three of them earlier this week." Casey stared long and hard at the scene in front of him, thinking Tobi might have been occupying the cab.

"What?" Gabriel pulled his attention away from the women to look at his cousin.

"Where's the queer one?"

He got his answer moments later when the man in question slid up right behind Casey, running his hands up the outside of the Irish male's thighs as he continued singing along with the song close to Casey's ear. "_I said 'please, please understand I'm in love with another man. And what he couldn't give me was the one little thing that you can.'_"

Upon realizing who was touching him rather inappropriately, Casey quickly sidestepped away from Tobi, throwing his hands out in front of him to ward off any sudden attack, "No, no, no! If anyone needs me I'll be at the truck." He pointed his finger at the gay man staring longingly after him, "And _you_… stay over there. In case I wasn't clear the first time, I like beautiful, round boobies; you can motorboat them. That's not something you can do with what you have. Thank you, have a nice day!"

The others watched Casey disappear around the side of the trailer after taking his daughter from Moira to get her strapped into her carrier. There was only minutes left before it was time to get on the road, which meant Ellen and Faye needed to finish loading the rest of their items. After the rest of his family went back to double-check they hadn't missed loading anything, Seamus took the time to help Ellen load some of her heavy bags in the bed of the truck, and to properly say goodbye to her.

"Ellen, let me help you." Seamus spoke to the scarlet woman while she had her back turned toward him. Out of the corner of his eyes he could see his cousin kissing Faye goodbye on the other side of Gabriel's truck. "Ellen… are you okay?"

Seamus wasn't prepared for Ellen's reaction, because the second she finally turned around to face him, he could see the tears pooling in her dark cobalt eyes. The next thing he knew, she had thrown herself in his arms, burying her face in his warm chest.

"I'm not ready to say goodbye, Seamus." Ellen managed to turn her gaze up to meet his, the tears trickling down her cheeks. _Damn me for crying. _"This week has changed me for the better… That, and I'm not ready to forget you, not after this week."

"I don't want you to forget me. And what's more, Paris is only an hour or so away from Jefferson. I can pop in to see you any time."

Without saying anything in reply, Ellen pulled his head down closer to hers and took the moment to search his eyes for the truth of his word. And there she found it, hidden in the depths of blue; he would return for her. There was no doubt about that. Choking back the rest of her tears, Ellen hungrily covered Seamus's lips with hers one last time until he returned for her. She would cherish the moment forever.

Elsewhere, Faye was leaning across the backseat of the green Dodge Ram, stroking Tate's soft curls while the baby napped peacefully, unaware of the woman hovering over her. Behind Faye, the baby's father beamed happily at the sight. At last Tate would have a mother who deeply cared for her.

_Only a few weeks until you become my wife, a stór. That day can't come soon enough._ Casey thought, until he saw Gabriel rallying everyone together to load into the trucks. Their time was up. Once Faye turned around to face him he gave her a quick kiss before ushering her along toward her own ride. "I'll see you in afew days, Faye. You ladies… and Tobi be safe."

"We will, and all of you do the same."

Still standing beside Ellen's truck –and being honked at to get into Rob's truck– Seamus held onto Ellen's hand as she climbed into the driver's seat and hugged her tightly, savoring the feeling of her gripping onto him, "I love you, Ellen. Text me when you guys stop for the night to let me know all of you are all right."

"I will." Allowing him to kiss her cheek, Ellen shut the truck door afterwards and watched him walk over to the silver truck where he disappeared inside. A few more tears ran down the apples of her cheeks, which went unnoticed by her friend sitting beside her in the passenger seat.

"It'll be okay, Ellen. The time until we see our men again will pass faster than we know it." Faye clicked her seatbelt over her body as the truck began to pull away toward Pumping Station Road, "We have something to live for."

Inside of Gabriel's truck, Kate squeezed her husband's hand when they followed behind Rob's truck, passing by other re-enactors on their way home. It was hard for her to believe they were finally going home after the week they had in the beautiful town. There would be plenty more adventures in their future, and each one would be enjoyed to the fullest, no matter what they faced. Whatever lay waiting for them on the horizon she didn't have a clue, but she couldn't wait to discover it along with the rest of her family. The Irish spirit flowed through her, that was for certain.

"Well, let's go home, everyone." Gabriel said with a smile on his face. "A lot has come out of this event. I'm pretty sure all of us are a little stronger, now."

"Speaking of stronger," Casey spoke up from the backseat, where he was slouched back with his feet resting on the headrest of Gabriel's seat, "Can someone roll down the window?"

"Why?" Kate questioned.

"I just ripped a good one," The light green male laughed.

Gabriel fought the urge to slam on the brakes and kick his cousin out, but he knew that wouldn't get them anywhere. "Dear God, give me the strength to make it back to Texas without strangling him."

Turning onto the road leading toward South Mountain, Gabriel glanced into the rearview mirror to see the domed peaks of The Round Tops growing smaller and smaller, eventually disappearing behind the trees. They had survived the event of a lifetime and that was something he'd hold onto for the rest of his life. Silence filled the truck after a while, except for a strange sound he didn't recognize, and then it dawned on him. It was his heart, a heart that had been quiet for long after losing the one he loved most dearly. With a glance beside him he saw Kate gazing out of her window at the passing landscape. She was the reason for his heart beating once more.

**Where Does My Heart Beat Now**

By: Celine Dion

So much to believe in - We were lost in time  
>Everything I needed<br>I feel into your eyes  
>Always thought of keeping -<br>Your heart next to mine  
>But now that seems so far away<br>Don't know how love could leave  
>Without a trace<br>Where do silent hearts go?

Where does my heart beat now  
>Where is the sound<br>That only echoes through the night  
>Where does my heart beat now<br>I can't live without  
>Without feeling it inside<br>Where do all the lonely hearts go

Candle in the water - Drifting helplessly  
>Hiding from the thunder-<br>Come and rescue me  
>Driven by the hunger -<br>Of the endless dream

I'm searching for the hand that I can hold  
>I'm reaching for the arms that let me know<br>Where do silent hearts go?

Where does my heart beat now  
>Where is the sound<br>That only echoes through the night  
>Where does my heart beat now<br>I can't live without  
>Without feeling it inside<br>Where do all the lonely hearts go  
>Where do all the lonely hearts go<p>

Then one touch overcomes the silence  
>Love still survives<br>Two hearts needing one another  
>Give me wings to fly<p>

Where does my heart beat now  
>Where is the sound<br>That only echoes through the night  
>Where does my heart beat now<br>I can't live without  
>Without feeling it inside<p>

I've got someone to give my heart to  
>Feel it getting stronger and stronger<br>And stronger  
>And I feel inside<p>

Hearts are made to last  
>Till the end of time<p> 


	48. Soundtrack

**Soundtrack**

**Characters' Themes**

"My Heart Is Open"- Keith Urban (Gabriel's Theme)

"Because You Loved Me"- Celine Dion (Kate's Theme)

"River Flows In You"- Yiruma (Mae's Theme)

"Faithfully"- Journey (Rob's Theme)

"Gimme Three Steps"- Lynryd Skynrd (Riley's Theme)

"Hey, Soul Sister"- Train (Moira's Theme)

"On My Sleeve"- Creed (Seamus's Theme)

"Pony"- Ginuwine (Casey's Theme)

"Sweet Child Of Mine"- Guns N' Roses (Sean's Theme)

"Dark Horse"- Katy Perry (Ava's Theme)

"My Immortal"- Evanescence (Susan's Theme)

"Burn It to the Ground"- Nickleback (Nick's Theme)

"Highway to Hell"- AC/DC (Max's Theme)

"Angel"- Aerosmith (Faye's Theme)

"Boss Ass Bitch"- PTAF (Ellen's Theme)

**Scenes**

"Mo Ghile Mear"- Orla Fallon (Opening scene)

"One Heart"- Celine Dion (Travelling to Washington)

"Call Me Maybe"- Carly Rae Jepsen (Gabriel watching Kate leave after meeting her)

"Crying on a Suitcase"- Casey James (Gabriel leaves the airport to go back to Kate)

"I'll Be Right Here Waiting For You"- Richard Marx (Gabriel finds Kate still on the mountain ridge)

"River Flows In You"- Yiruma (Mae's Theme)

"Faithfully"- Journey (Rob's Theme)

"Shadows of the Night"- Pat Benatar (Ghost walk through Jefferson)

"My Heart Is Open"- Keith Urban (Gabriel's Theme)

"Because You Loved Me"- Celine Dion (Kate's Theme)

"Toss the Feathers"- The Corrs (Kate trying on her dress and underpinnings at Beth's store)

"If Walls Could Talk"- Celine Dion (Gabriel and Kate make love for the first time)

"Dark Horse"- Katy Perry (Ava's Theme)

"Battle of Little Round Top"- Randy Edelman (Jefferson battle)

"At the Beginning"- Richard Marx ft. Donna Lewis (Kate's grand entrance at the Jefferson ball)

"With Arms Wide Open"- Creed (Kate tells Gabriel she's pregnant)

"The Guardian Suite"- Trevor Rabin (Kate intercepts Nick at Honey Springs)

"Lord of the Dance"- Ronan Hardiman (Gabriel & Kate's dance at Honey Springs)

"Wobble Baby"- V.I.C. (Dance club)

"Dayum Baby"- Florida Georgia Line (Kate drags Gabriel out to dance at the dance club)

"The Sinking"- James Horner (Running from the tornado)

"Buachaill ón Eirne"- Celtic Thunder (Gabriel sings to Roxanne in the storm shelter)

"Remember Everything"- Five Finger Death Punch (Shootout in the streets of Jefferson/ Nick dies)

"Sweet Child Of Mine"- Guns N' Roses (Sean's Theme)

"Never Alone"- Barlow Girl (Gabriel's breakdown on the Round Mountain battlefield)

"The Portrait"- James Horner (Kate gives birth)

"You'll Be In My Heart"- Phil Collins (Gabriel holds Shannon for the first time)

"Rain"- Hans Zimmer (Gabriel carrying Shannon around outside the day after she's born)

"Memorized"- Rebecca Lynn Howard (Gabriel thinks about Susan at the bakery)

"My Immortal"- Evanescence (Susan's Theme)

"On My Sleeve"- Creed (Seamus's Theme)

"Gimme Three Steps"- Lynryd Skynrd (Riley's Theme)

"Hey, Soul Sister"- Train (Moira's Theme)

"It's Raining Men"- Countre Black (Casey arrives at the farm)

"Pony"- Ginuwine (Casey's Theme)

"Come By the Hills (Buachaill ón Eirne)- Celtic Thunder (The Dawson Men sing Shannon to sleep)

"What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger"- Kelly Clarkson (Training the new cavalry members)

"If I Could "- Barbara Streisand (Kate thinks about what is to come before rescuing the babies)

"My Sacrifice"- Creed (The rescue party heads to the cemetery)

"Highway to Hell"- AC/DC (Max's Theme)

"Battlefield"- Jordin Sparks (Kate and Gabriel's fight)

"Beautiful" – Enrique Iglesias ft. Kylie Minogue (Kate & Gabriel fight in their bedroom/Love scene)

"Primadonna"- Jason Derulo ft. C. Note (Everyone ambushes Casey in the seamstress's shop)

"Jump In the Line"- Harry Belafonte (Gabriel's excitement after finding out they got in to Gettysburg)

"Hot Blooded"- Foreigner (Auntie Skinner's Riverboat Club)

"Right Kind of Wrong"- Leann Rimes (Kate's surprise song at the playhouse)

"Glass"- Thompson Square (Kate & Gabriel's song at the playhouse)

"The Colonial Cause"- John Williams (Jefferson Parade/ town skirmish)

"Smokin"- Boston (Casey runs from Ellen)

"Rose of Alabamy"- Bobby Horton (beginning of ball)

"Ashoken Farewell"- Jay Ungar (Seamus and Ellen dance at the Jefferson ball)

"Callin' Baton Rouge"- Garth Brooks (Seamus plays the fiddle and sings at the gazebo)

"I Won't Say I'm In Love"- The Cheetah Girls (Ellen arguing herself after hearing Seamus sing)

"Party Rock Anthem"- LMFAO (Leaving for Gettysburg)

"Billie Jean"- Michael Jackson (Everyone in Riley's truck jams)

"Show Them to Me"- Rodney Carrington (Casey's song in the truck)

"Year of Jubilee"- James Horner (Arrival at Gettysburg)

"Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)"- Beyonce (Casey tries to get finger out of the door)

"Tennessee"- Hans Zimmer (The men racing their horses on battlefield while the women watch)

"Lament"- James Horner (Casey and Faye watch each other at the suttlery)

"Wish I Was Your Lover"- Enrique Iglesias (Casey takes Faye riding in the evening)

"Angel"- Aerosmith (Faye's Theme)

"Hoedown"- James Galway & Phil Coulter (Casey and Faye run from the Yankees/ Casey deters them)

"Sexy Naughty Bitchy Me"- (Ellen and her crew shows up at Devil's Den)

"Toxic"- Britney Spears (Seamus strips after the downpour)

"Just a Little Bit"- Gina G. (Night raid/ Kate's distraction)

"The Island"- Celtic Thunder (Gabriel and Kate make out after night raid)

"Susan Speaks"- John Williams (Faye can't sleep and goes to Casey's tent) *deleted scene

"Naked"- Celine Dion (Casey and Faye make love) *scene not in final version of novel

"It Wasn't Me"- Shaggy (Kate questions Casey about seeing Faye leave his tent)

"Preparations For Battle"- James Horner (Getting ready for battle/ Gabriel is made General)

"Closing Credits"- James Horner (Gabriel leads his unit to the battlefield after becoming General)

"Charging Fort Wagner"- James Horner (Cavalry charge at Gettysburg)

"Set Fire To the Rain"- Chester See (Ellen's daydream during the battle)

"Iridescent"- Linkin Park (Gabriel's transformation during the cavalry battle)

"Yellow Rose of Texas"- Bobby Horton (Gettysburg Ball)

"Who the Hell Are You"- Madison Avenue (Ellen gives a warning to Casey)

"Concrete Angel"- Martina McBride (Seamus finds Ellen outside crying/ They talk)

"I Knew I Loved You"- Savage Garden (Seamus and Ellen at the cavalry camp)

"This I Promise You"- N'SYNC (Ellen's nightmare/ Seamus and Ellen make love) *entire scene not in full version of novel

"Farewell"- Alan Menken (Lantern ceremony)

"Burnin' It Down"- Jason Aldean (Ellen spends time with Seamus night before they leave for Texas)

"All I Want to Do Is Make Love To You"- Heart (Tobi serenades Casey)

"Unconditionally"- Katy Perry (Finale)

"Where Does My Heart Beat Now"- Celine Dion


End file.
